We call on human rights organisations, trade unions and freedom loving people to speak out against the Turkish government’s invasion of Kurdistan!

The Turkish government has launched a large ground offensive in Iraqi Kurdistan and border areas with thousands of soldiers, tanks, and armoured vehicles under the guise of protecting the borders and fighting the PKK. They have also burnt the citizens’ gardens and residences. They have even reached the city of Duhok, endangering the lives and security of the residents. In addition, some civilians have been killed or injured in the past as a result of Turkey’s ongoing attacks.

This invasion and militarization of the Erdogan government is part of a regional conflict in which Turkey seeks to establish a foothold in the region, particularly to influence the political, economic, and security future. Turkey seeks to achieve this aim by military dominance in the Kurdistan Region and northern Syria. In doing so, he wants to respond to Turkey’s internal crisis, where Erdogan’s government is now more than ever facing the fury of Turkey’s working-class, hard-working,and liberal people.

The Turkish government’s aggression against Iraqi Kurdistan has been fuelled by the UN’s silence on the one hand, and the approval of the US, Iraqi, and Kurdish governments on the other.

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters inside the Kurdistan Region are, of course, Turkey’s justification for its invasion of Iraqi Kurdistan; nevertheless, this is merely a pretext for Turkey’s massive push to seize land in Iraq and exert influence over the Iraqi government.  Specifically, with China’s assistance and collaboration, the “Development Road” project—a strategically important undertaking connecting Turkey to the Gulf—will cross across Iraqi territory. Turkey, Iraq, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates together invest billions of dollars in this project.

We at the International Federation of Iraqi Refugees strongly condemn this attack and invasion of the Turkish government against the Kurdish people, and call on the United Nations, all human rights organizations, trade unions and freedom fighters to play their rightful role and put pressure on the Turkish state that:

1. Immediately stop the military invasion and shelling of villages and border areas.

2. All Turkish forces must immediately withdraw from Iraqi Kurdistan to allow the people of the villages can return to their homes.

3. Compensation to the affected villagers.

International Federation of Iraqi Refugees-IFIR

12/07/2024