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Turkey has been pursuing operations against the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) in the Qandil Mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan since 23 April. However, both the Iraqi and the Iraqi Kurdistan governments have continued to remain silent about the operations, which are happening within their territories.
As a result, some deputies are repeatedly criticising the Iraqi government and calling it to demand that Turkey stop the operations in Iraq.
Parliamentary Deputy Rezan Sheikh Diler has reacted against the Turkish attacks, and has announced that he will collect signatures calling on Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi to inform parliament about Turkey’s offensive.
He noted that a commission has been established in the Iraqi Parliament to examine the outcomes of Turkey’s operations in Iraq and he stated that the problems of the Kurds should be resolved through dialogue.
“The inter-Kurdish conflict serves the enemies of the Kurds. We have horrific experiences of fratricide. We can only hope that these are not repeated.”
Local journalist Shaswar Mame also criticises the government in Iraqi Kurdistan and states that Turkey and the KDP have been developing their military relations in recent years.
He noted that dozens of military bases, MIT (Turkish Intelligence Service offices and schools have been opened in the region by the Turkish state in the last two years.
Stating that the steps taken by the KDP indicate a decision to engage in war, he said: “But more than that, the will of the people in the Kurdistan Region has been swayed, so the KDP cannot act outside Turkey’s interests, cannot say a single thing or make a single statement without its approval, and this puts it in a difficult position.”
Activists in the Khanaqin city of Iraq are also criticising their government. Journalist Najim Warani stated that the government in Turkey is losing its power and has lost supporters within Turkey, and is trying to cover this up by making attacking the Kurds.
“If we unite, no one can attack us. Partisanship leads us to this point. We must tolerate each other, listen to each other. If not, we will remain in this situation.” he says.
Activist Lemîhe Mihemed thinks that Turkey’s operations are a route to Kurdish genocide: “This military attack is hostility against the Kurdish people. As so often in history, this too aims at Kurdish genocide. We must unite against it.”
Political observer Hesen Ibrahim Hesen stressed that only the Kurdish people can stop Turkey, united under the leadership of the PKK.
“All political parties should know that the end of the PKK will be the end of Kurdish politics. Kurds should not forget this, it would be a big mistake to turn the war against Turkey into an inter-Kurdish war”
