ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish military strikes and operations in the Kurdistan Region have continued, particularly in Duhok province, even as the first group of Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters prepares to lay down arms in a symbolic disarmament ceremony scheduled for Friday, according to a war monitor.
“Turkish military strikes and operations have remained steady - though increasingly concentrated in specific areas - even as a disarmament ceremony approaches this Friday,” the US-based Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT), which monitors Turkish military activity in northern Iraq, said in its latest monthly report.
“Turkish military strikes have remained steady and concentrated - though notably, no civilian casualties have been reported - since their surge in May,” it added.
The disarmament ceremony will be held in the Kurdistan Region’s Sulaimani province in the presence of officials, politicians, and civil society representatives. The exact location remains undisclosed and live coverage will not be permitted.
Founded in 1978, the PKK initially advocated for Kurdish independence, but later shifted its focus to securing political and cultural rights for Kurds in Turkey. It is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.
In February, jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan urged the group to abandon its armed struggle and pursue a political solution. The PKK declared a ceasefire on March 1 and in May it announced its dissolution and end to its armed struggle.
In the past several years, the majority of the conflict shifted to the Kurdistan Region, where the PKK has its headquarters.
According to the CPT, Turkish bombardments and attacks increased by eight percent in June compared to the previous month, but continue to exceed levels recorded prior to the ceasefire. The group documented at least 550 bombardments and strikes across the Kurdistan Region last month - 98 percent of them occurring in Duhok province, specifically in Amedi district. Of the attacks, 525 were artillery shellings and 25 were airstrikes. Only nine instances of artillery shelling were recorded in the Sidakan district of Erbil province.
CPT said the strikes in Amedi, especially in the Deraluk subdistrict, have caused the destruction of hundreds of dunams of farmland and vineyards.
The CPT report also detailed the extent of civilian displacement across the Kurdistan Region and northern Iraq due to Turkey’s military campaign. A total of 183 villages have been completely abandoned as a direct result of Turkish operations, including 107 in Duhok, 65 in Erbil, eight in Sulaimani, and three in Nineveh.
The report also highlighted 405 villages that were previously emptied during the Anfal campaign, the Baath-era Peshmerga conflict, or the conflict with the Islamic State (ISIS). Although the Baath regime and ISIS no longer pose threats, residents of these villages have been unable to return due to continued Turkish military activity. These include 195 villages in Duhok, 162 in Erbil, 43 in Sulaimani, and five in Nineveh.
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