The People’s Defense Forces (HPG), affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), released a statement on 12 June, detailing the continued Turkish bombardment of the guerrilla-held Medya Defense Zones in the predominantly Kurdish regions of Northern Iraq. They condemned these attacks, which they say directly violate not only the unilateral ceasefire declared by the PKK on 1 March, but also international law.
The statement accused Turkey of systematically violating both international law and the terms of the PKK’s unilateral ceasefire. The HPG claimed that the Turkish military is using chemical weapons—banned under the Chemical Weapons Convention—as well as drones, explosives, and heavy machinery in strikes on guerrilla fighters positioned in tunnels in the Zap and Metîna regions of northern Iraq.
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According to the HPG, Turkish forces launched over 11,000 attacks in March and nearly 10,000 in April alone. The HPG responded only 13 times in March and 17 times in April, emphasising that its fighters had maintained a defensive posture. Four guerrillas were reportedly killed in early April.
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The group accused Turkey of exploiting the ceasefire to launch a genocidal campaign against the remaining PKK fighters in the region—framing the offensive as both economic and political in nature. The HPG warned that it may be forced to adopt an active military stance if Turkey does not halt its attacks and engage in meaningful peacebuilding.
The HPG appealed to international human rights groups and “pro-peace circles” to speak out against Turkey’s use of prohibited weapons and to support renewed dialogue—echoing the call for peace made by jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan in February.
While the PKK officially dissolved itself as an armed organisation, it has repeatedly insisted that genuine disarmament must follow a negotiated political settlement—particularly the release of Öcalan and legal recognition of Kurdish rights and political participation.
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