The Turkish government is accused of misusing its discretionary fund, potentially to finance Syrian mercenary groups it allegedly deployed in Iraqi Kurdistan for its ongoing military operation.
Speaking at a party meeting on Thursday, pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy (DEM) Party Co-Chair Tülay Hatimoğulları made startling claims about government spending. “The palace has used five billion liras (150 million USD) from the discretionary fund in just five months. They’re conducting dark dealings with this discretionary fund,” she stated. The timing coincides with the onset of Turkey’s current incursion in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, which ostencibly targets the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) strongholds but extends to areas without any PKK presence.
Hatimoğulları suggested that these funds might be used to pay salaries to Syrian opposition groups. “They’re probably paying salaries to the FSA,” she said, referring to the Free Syrian Army, now part of the Syrian National Army.
The DEM Party leader drew attention to recent events in Afrin (Efrin), northern Syria, linking them to potential misuse of funds. “Remember those gangs who burned the Turkish flag in Afrin when Turkey said it wanted to talk with Syria? It’s highly likely they’re also supporting those gangs from this discretionary fund,” Hatimoğulları claimed.
These allegations come amid reports of Turkey offering high salaries to Syrian mercenaries for operations in Iraqi Kurdistan. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights recently reported that Turkey is offering between $2,500 and $3,000 per fighter to combat the PKK in the Kurdistan mountains.
