Turkey is continuing its systematic attacks on the Kurdistan Region and Iraq, the Sinjar (Şengal) Yazidi Council said in a statement reported by RojNews. “Turkey aims to pressure the population by bombarding and destroying villages and towns, creating fear and forcing inhabitants to abandon their homes and property,” the council stated.
The council highlighted the broader implications of Turkey’s military actions, accusing it of attempting to alter the region’s demographics and plunder its resources. “These inhumane attacks reach the level of war crimes, stripping away the essence of humanity. They have caused significant civilian casualties and destroyed the environmental and agricultural richness of the Kurdistan Region,” the council asserted.
The ongoing conflict has drawn criticism from local and international human rights organisations, which have called for an immediate cessation of hostilities and a focus on protecting civilian lives. The council urged the international community, the Baghdad government, and the Iraqi Parliament to fulfil their human, ethical, and legal responsibilities against these human rights violations and to put an end to the continuous attacks by Turkey.
Turkey’s military actions in the region are part of a broader strategy to combat the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). However, these operations have increasingly involved airstrikes and ground assaults, leading to significant civilian casualties and property damage. The Turkish army has established several military bases in strategic locations within the Kurdistan Region, including Bamerni (Bamernê), Kani Masi (Kanî Masê), and Batifa (Batîfa), as part of its long-term presence in the area.
In a recent incident underscoring the dangers faced by civilians and journalists in the region, an attack on a vehicle carrying journalists from Çira TV and Çira FM in Sinjar injured three people on Monday. The journalists were travelling to Tilqeseb for interviews marking the tenth anniversary of the Islamic State (ISIS) attack on the region. Iraqi Security Forces and Êzidxan Asayish have launched an investigation to determine whether the incident was caused by an airstrike or a planted bomb.
