Western media outlets were reluctant to report on Turkey’s invasion into Iraqi Kurdistan on Monday morning, and no news on the invasion was published for many hours. Although Deutsche Welle (DW) was one of the first media outlets to break the silence, it said only that the Turkish military’s incursions into Iraqi Kurdistan and the ensuing deployment of Turkish troops on Iraqi soil was an ‘offensive against Kurdish militants.’
In contrast to its reports on the recent Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Deutsche Welle article cited only a single source, the Turkish defence minister Hulusi Akar, who said that ‘Operation Claw Lock’ aimed to ‘prevent terror attacks’ and ‘ensure Turkey’s border security.’
The article did not refer to local reports of Kurdish villages being bombarded by Turkish warplanes and artillery.
Hundreds of villages have already been emptied in Iraqi Kurdistan due to Turkey’s previous attacks, before this latest Turkish operation was launched on Sunday.
The Turkish state news agency Anadolu Agency (AA), similarly cited defence minister Hukusi Akar, and added a tweet by Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay, saying that ‘Turkey remains resolute in continuing its struggle against the terror group and its sponsors, both within and beyond its borders.’
