In a recent interview, journalist Aziz Köylüoğlu threw light on the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)’s alleged participation in Turkey’s military actions against Kurdish guerrilla forces in the Zap, Metina (Metîna) and Avashin (Avaşîn) areas since 14 April 2022, published by Mezopotamya Agency on Sunday. “Turkey’s ‘enter, stay, cleanse’ strategy has collapsed, and now the KDP is laying ambushes,” he stated.
“Currently, as far as we know, three new roads have been built from northern Kurdistan in Turkey to southern Kurdistan within Iraq’s borders,” Köylüoğlu said. “The KDP presents it as a service to local villages, but in reality, it is a collaboration in the attacks.”
With regard to the purpose of the renewed Turkish escalation, “Turkey aims to reclaim areas it had previously occupied but was forced to vacate in autumn 2022,” Köylüoğlu explained. “The attacks are not about expanding the occupied area but about reoccupying areas they had to leave.”
Commenting on the surge in Turkey’s regional attacks following the NATO Summit in Lithuania, he observed, “The frequency of air raids has skyrocketed. Some days witness up to 40 airstrikes involving as many fighter jets. However, the guerrilla resistance remains robust, repelling many of these attacks.”
On allegations of chemical weapon usage, he said, “Turkey’s focus is predominantly on the western part of Zap and parts of Metîna. Their intention with this second wave of attacks is to settle in areas they had to abandon last autumn. The active participation of the KDP, providing Turkey with logistics, ammunition and intelligence, is evident.”
Concluding his insights, Köylüoğlu emphasised, “Apart from the KDP, all Kurdish political factions in the Federal Kurdistan Region have united against these attacks. Turkey’s current trajectory in the conflict is not as it anticipated. The Turkish military is facing significant challenges in the Zap, Metina and Avashin regions.”
