Heavy fighting erupted between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) in the Amedi district of Duhok in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) on Friday, independent Kurdish outlet Peregraf reported.
Turkish forces bombed the village of Guherzê during the night, damaging many houses and vehicles, Roj News said.
The Turkish military presence in Duhok Governorate has ramped up in recent days, with dozens of armoured vehicles entering the area under the supervision of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). Reports on 4 July indicate that Turkish forces, including armoured vehicles and tanks, entered Amedi at around 2 am local time.
Since 22 June, hundreds of Turkish armoured vehicles, tanks and troops have been deployed, setting up checkpoints and attempting to evacuate villages in the area.
Meanwhile, Vedant Patel, the US State Department Spokesperson, has indicated a de-facto US green light for the Turkish occupation of swathes of the KRI.
Speaking to Roj News, political observer Mucaşeh Tamimi explained that Iraq is not strong enough to defend itself against Turkey’s attacks and highlighted how Turkey has controlled the water flow into Iraq in recent years, creating drought conditions.
Tamimi also spoke about the countries’ economies, saying, “The Iraqi market is weak in terms of local products and its market is full of Turkish products. For this reason, it cannot control its borders with Turkey.”
