An armed conflict began over a month ago with Turkey’s cross border operation into Iraqi Kurdistan against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK’s) fighters in Medya Defence Zones. On 5 June, there was an attack on Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) forces in Metina region. As a result of the attack, five Peshmerga were killed and four were wounded.
It was initially claimed by the KDP that the attack had been carried out by the People’s Defense Forces (HPG). However, the HPG denied all allegations and requested that an independent committee investigate the attack for the real perpetrators to be discovered.
In presenting his assessment of recent developments in the region, Kurdish politician Maki Revend warned that some KDP politicians make joint plans with Turkish intelligence concerning anti-PKK propaganda that relates to the killing of Peshmerga forces and also the deaths of civilians in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Turkey’s cross-border operations in Iraqi Kurdistan, facilitated by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), have been ongoing for 30 years, Revend told MA.
“The war is not just about tanks and artillery. An economic, psychological and systematic war has been waged against Bashur [‘South’ Kurdistan]. This is a designed policy by Turkey towards Kurdistan,” he said.
Revend used a metaphor to highlight the attitude of the KDP and Masoud Barzani to Turkey’s forces. “Once the key to one’s home is put in the hands of the enemy, one cannot say ‘no’ to the enemy anymore,” he said.
“The Barzani family has offered all parts of Kurdistan to Turkey. Therefore, the war is the result of 30 years. Masoud Barzani opened the doors of Kurdistan to Turkey for his own interests,” he added.
Masoud Barzani was responsible for “a similar betrayal in the1990s,” he asserted. “But today, this is a betrayal on a national level. Kurdish people will not remain silent when some individuals act for their personal interests.”
Revend stated that he received information two weeks ago from inside the KDP before the attack on the KDP’s peshmerga forces took place on 5 June. ”I received information before the attack: around 10-15 Peshmerga would be killed by a plan of the KDP and the Turkish National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) and the incident would be attributed to the PKK. They aimed to create a justification for war. Ten days later, this event happened. And it was attributed to the PKK. However, everyone knows that the PKK did not do it, and the KDP, too, knows it very well,” he said.
Stating that there are new plans in the cross-border operation targeting civilians in Iraqi Kurdistan, Revend said, ”The same team of the MIT and the KDP will kill civilians and hold the PKK responsible for it. I heard information from the sources inside the KDP. After 5 June, the home of a family in Dinarte was raided. The house owner said, ‘The PKK raided my home.’ Look, I have said this after 5 June. This is something the KDP wants to do and they will begin to kill civilians. This is their new plan …”
The Kurdish politician insisted that civilian Kurds living in Iraqi Kurdistan might be the subject of new attacks, as part of a “joint plan” designated by Turkey’s MİT and some people within the KDP.
“They killed the Peshmerga, now they will kill the civilians,” he warned. “In this way, they will carry out propaganda that apportions blame to the PKK for “killing civilians.” The MIT and the KDP are trying to put these plans into action.”
