Turkish air strikes in Northern Iraq – shock with the tiger paw against Kurd nThe Turkey attacks in Northern Iraq, the positions of the Kurdish workers ‘ party PKK. At the same time Recep Tayyip Erdogan is increasing pressure on the particularly from the Kurds supported party HDP.Tomas Avenarius, Moritz Baumstieger0 comment cheer the bomb hit: the Minister of defense Hulusi Akar and military personnel in the Central command of the Turkish armed forces.Photo: AP

With the use of airborne troops, the Turkey expands its Offensive against the Kurdish PKK in Northern Iraq. The Offensive “tiger paw” started “after intense artillery fire,” with the use of the command units, the Turkish Ministry of defence on Wednesday. Iraqi border area of Haftanin would be used in the North in addition to the “hero’s command” also Jets, helicopters and drones will be liable. The Operation was covered by the international right to self-defense, according to the Ministry. The troops “to neutralize the PKK and other terrorists”, which Turkey’s security at risk.

in advance of the surgery was gone in the last few days of the air offensive, “eagle claw”. Turkish Jets had bombed in the Northern Iraqi Kandil and in the Sinjar mountains more than 80 targets of the Kurdish workers ‘ party, which is classified in the Turkey, the EU and the US as a terrorist organization. Was also made the surroundings of the refugee camp Makhmur, which according to the Turkish representation of the PKK as a base. In the area, many of them Yazidis, the 2014 against the terrorist militia Islamic state had fled, wanted to wipe out the ethnic group’s life after their return again.

caves

Martin Klamper, a former German soldier who had joined in 2017, Kurdish units in the fight against the IS and today, as a Volunteer at a jesidischen self-defence unit in Northern Iraq, used, as reported in the chat messages from his observations of the attacks entrenched. In the night of Wednesday, Turkish Jets have attacked in several waves, the positions of the militia, among other things, a close to a nursing station in the Sinjar mountains. The Station itself had not been destroyed, the shelling have triggered large-scale fire. At least four people had been injured.

As the reason for the extensive military operation, the Turkish government gave to the shelling of the Turkish police and military posts in the border area by the PKK on. You have already many PKK-fighters “turned off”, which would be kept in caves dug in. Turkish media showed images from the command headquarters of the armed forces, on which the Minister of defence Hulusi Akar and military are to see, the cheer bomb. Of the PKK, the Iraqi government in Baghdad and the semi-Autonomous Kurdish Region in Northern Iraq, Central no reactions came first. The Iraqi government had, however, summoned on Tuesday the Turkish Ambassador to protest against the violation of Iraqi sovereignty.

The current Operation surprised, however, by their extent and their intensity.

The left-wing PKK is struggling since the eighties against the Turkish state, more than 40’000 people died as a result of the fighting. Your retreat is in the mountains in the Northern Iraqi Kandil. Their positions are tolerated by the Iraqi Kurds, the Turkish army but attacked from the air. The current Operation, which includes troops according to Turkish data also ground, surprised by their extent and their intensity, since Ankara, operates in parallel with extensive military operations in Syria and Libya.

mass meetings forbidden

domestically, the Operation in a Phase, it is again growing tensions between the government and the political representatives of the Kurds in the country. The government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan increased pressure on the mainly of the Kurds supported party, HDP, in the last time by measure removed the need for multiple HDP-mayor of the office. Now, after two of their parliamentarians had been detained, had organized the HDP of Hakkari in the East and Edirne in the West from a protest March to Ankara. Local city authorities prohibited meetings, then mass, and justified this with the Corona-danger; the police intervened with batons and rubber bullets against Marching. The opposition party, the CHP does not participate in the protests, although also one of its Parliament deputies deprived of immunity.

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