Turkish troops have once again and extensively attacked the northern regions of Iraq and the federal region of Iraqi Kurdistan. The attacks, which started a few days ago with the bombing of some areas, continue. The Turkish army’s air and ground forces are involved in these attacks, and the pretext for these attacks is the presence of Kurdish opposition forces on Iraqi soil.
As a result of these attacks, which are being carried out at a depth of 25 km in the territory of Iraqi Kurdistan, the forests, pastures and farms of the villagers have been damaged and the residents of the villages in the attacked areas have been forced to leave their areas.
Although this is not the first time that the Turkish army has carried out attacks in the northern regions of Iraq, the extent of these attacks in the current situation and the time when the Russian army has declared war on Ukraine and occupied parts of its territory, can be The extent of the damage and the increase in the wave of migration of the inhabitants of these areas.
Since the beginning of the Turkish military offensive in recent years, more than 380 villages in the border areas and up to 25 km deep on the Turkish border in Iraq have been evacuated and taken refuge in other areas.
The pretext for Turkey’s attacks on the Kurdish regions of northern Iraq and sometimes northern Syria is the presence of Kurdistan Workers’ Party forces, which is considered a terrorist organization by Turkey and some other countries.
The inhabitants of the attacked areas are ordinary citizens and sometimes farmers and ranchers who have lived in these areas with great difficulty. All human beings have the right to life and security.
The Turkish government must immediately stop its attacks on the northern regions of Iraq, respect the territorial sovereignty of neighboring countries and the right of other nations to live peacefully, and engage in dialogue and peaceful resolution of issues instead of pursuing its aggressive and nefarious policies. The Turkish government must also end human rights abuses in its own country and in the occupied territories.
Centre Zagros pour les Droits de l’Homme
April 20, 2022
