Following the KCK’s warning about Turkey’s threat to Iraq’s sovereignty, sources from southern Kurdistan (Iraqi Kurdistan) report that, in addition to deploying hundreds of tanks and armoured vehicles around the Matina region in Duhok province, a high-ranking Turkish delegation is likely to visit Baghdad.
According to reports from Eastern Kurdistan (Iranian Kurdistan) media, local sources, and experts on Kurdistan-Iraq issues, it appears that the Turkish army’s efforts to occupy significant portions of Iraqi Kurdistan have reached a new phase. Reports from media, residents of Duhok province, and security experts on Iraqi matters indicate that Turkey is attempting to seize key strategic areas of Duhok under the guise of countering Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) guerrillas.
A report published by Channel 8 in Sulaymaniyah (Silêmanî) reveals that over the past 10 days, the Turkish army has deployed 300 tanks and armoured vehicles to Iraqi Kurdistan. After traversing communication routes built by the Turkish army last year, this armoured force is now stationed in the villages around the Matina Mountain range and the Bamerni region in Duhok province. According to this report, nearly 1,000 Turkish military personnel, along with their armoured vehicles, have been positioned between the villages of Babira and Kani Blaff in the Badinan (Behdinan) region since 25 June. They have been inspecting citizens’ identity documents, frequently halting and preventing Kurdish citizens’ movement in the area.
With these actions, Turkey aims to establish a security buffer zone from the Shiladzi region to the town of Batufa. The objective of this buffer zone is to encircle a significant part of Iraqi Kurdistan and sever the connection between the PKK guerrillas and other areas in Bakur (Turkish Kurdistan). Local sources have relayed to Medya News that the Turkish military presence in the area ranges between 600 and 900 troops.
Residents in Duhok province have reported that for the past two months, the Turkish army has been steadily increasing its deployment of troops and heavy weaponry to the region. The Turkish military’s recent offensives against the Matina Mountain range have begun from the eastern side, to seize control of PKK bases and advance westwards across the mountains. One local from the Matina region remarked that Turkish soldiers are behaving as if this operation is occurring within Turkey’s own borders. Over the past three days, the operation has been concentrated on a roughly 20-kilometre stretch from the east to the west of Matina. According to military analysts, Turkey’s ultimate aim with this significant military build-up is to take control of the Gara mountains in Duhok province. If Turkey accomplishes this, the Kurdistan Regional Government could lose control over 70-75 percent of its territory in Duhok.
In a recent Facebook post, Sarteep Jawhar, a security expert on Kurdistan-Iraq issues, shed light on Turkey’s simultaneous military and diplomatic efforts. He pointed out that despite the Turkish army’s ongoing assaults on the Matina region since 2022 and their inability to achieve their objectives, hundreds of soldiers, backed by internal and aerial reinforcements, have entered Iraqi Kurdistan and established positions and checkpoints in the Barwari Bala areas over the past two nights under the pretext of initiating a new operation.
Jowhar further remarked that although the current operation is limited to Duhok province, political indications suggest that the incursions may soon expand to the Sulaymaniyah region. He reported that on 27 June, a high-ranking delegation from MIT (Turkish National Intelligence Organisation), led by Mutlu Tuka, is visiting Baghdad. During this visit, it is likely that MIT representatives will meet with officials from the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) too. This meeting is part of Turkey’s strategy to pressure the PUK to join the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)-Turkey alliance against the liberation movement in Bakur.
In response to Turkey’s extensive efforts to occupy Iraqi Kurdistan, Tevgeri Azadi (The Freedom Movement) has issued a statement directed at political groups in the region, calling for vigilance and resistance against the Turkish aggression. The statement emphasised the need for the Kurdish and Iraqi people to stand united against the Turkish invasion. The statement pointed out that on 22 and 23 June, under the guise of targeting PKK guerrillas, Turkey deployed hundreds of tanks, armoured personnel carriers, and thousands of troops into Duhok province in Iraqi Kurdistan. This measure is described as a significant threat and part of a broader plan for long-term occupation. The statement condemned this action as a clear violation of international law and an attack on Iraqi sovereignty, criticising the Iraqi federal government’s lack of response and highlighting the Barzani family’s cooperation with the Turkish military. It concluded by affirming that the Kurdish, Arab, and other communities will not remain silent in the face of occupation and violations of their sovereign rights.
Despite extensive news censorship by international media outlets, the Turkish army’s attacks on Iraqi Kurdistan have persisted relentlessly in recent years. Justifying their actions by citing the presence of PKK guerrillas, the Turkish military has repeatedly assaulted the region, even resorting to the use of chemical weapons.
As the Turkish army continues its offensives in Duhok province, Roj news reported on 26 June that the Turkish forces suffered significant casualties in the Matina region, necessitating the evacuation of their fallen and injured soldiers by helicopter.
While no official statistics on the number of Turkish military personnel in Iraqi Kurdistan have been released, local sources informed Medya News that the Turkish army has established over 110 military bases, ranging from small outposts to larger installations throughout the region.
According to a report by Rudaw TV, affiliated with the Barzani family, the Turkish military carried out 833 air and artillery attacks on the Kurdistan region from the beginning of this year until last month. These attacks resulted in the deaths of eight citizens.
On 26 June, the KCK (Kurdistan Communities Union) issued a statement regarding the ongoing Turkish military presence in the Kurdistan region and Iraq. In their statement, the KCK emphasised concerns over the lack of response from Baghdad and Erbil (Hewlêr) to Turkey’s occupation of Iraqi Kurdistan and Iraqi territories, describing it as a serious threat to the future of communities in Iraq. The KCK’s foreign relations committee warned that the Turkish occupation could become permanent and potentially lead to annexation.
