Turkey launched an operation against the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) in the Garê region of Iraqi Kurdistan on 10 February, and its operations against the Kurdish fighters have been continuing in the Avashîn, Zap and Metîna regions since 24 April.
The People’s Defence Forces (HPG) shared a 6-month balance sheet for Turkey’s cross-border operations from 23 April to 23 October.
“Despite Turkey’s use of chemical weapons as well as its most advanced conventional weapons, and the support of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), it has not achieved the results it wanted from the operations,” the HPG statement said.
Noting that Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) / Nationalist Movement Party (MHP) coalition government is trying to hide the truth from the public, the HPG statement emphasised that the failure of the operations has deepened the crisis within Turkey.
“Turkey has used chemical weapons at least 323 times in the last 6 months,” HPG said adding “101 HPG fighters were killed as a result of the operations, 38 of them died in the chemical weapons attacks.”
The HPG also noted that a Turkish footsoldier, Sezai Gungor, was killed by Turkish forces as he tried to surrender to the guerrillas, and said that 670 people, including village guards, soldiers, and paramilitary forces were killed during the six months.