Latest news from Zînî Wertê

ANF reporter Rêbaz Hesen went to the region of Zînî Wertê to monitor the KDP forces deployment. Turkish state reconnaissance and fighter planes continue to fly over the region.

Zînî Wertê, where the KDP is piling up its military forces, is located in the Şawrê Valley, in the region of Wertê, 35 kilometers from the town of Ranya. The road connecting the towns of Choman and Ranya passes through this region. It's a strait located between Qandil and Karox mountains.

This is a military strategic region and the forces deployed here can very easily control the valleys of Şawrê and Zergele in Qandil.

The region has been an area where Kurdistan revolutionaries have been deployed throughout history. Especially from 1975 to the raperîn (uprising) in south of Kurdistan, it has been a base for PUK peshmerga fighting a guerrilla warfare against the Baath regime.

After 1991, the KDP and PUK war turned very violent in this. After the war and after the agreement, the area passed under PUK control.

From 1991 until March this year, it was the safest region in south of Kurdistan. It was an area where there were no military or political problems. Towards the end of March, the KDP Çoman 7th Brigade moved to the region of Zînî Wertê officially due to the coronavirus outbreak. However it soon turned out that this was not the case; indeed, the movement was in preparation of a future attack.

In 2000, the area had passed under the control of the Kurdistan Freedom Guerrillas. The PKK  opened the region to allow free movements of the KDP, the PUK and the people. It even allowed the PUK to have a small peshmerga unit there.

However, despite the requests of political to the contrary, the KDP is trying to send more forces to the region and strengthen its position. The KDP has also deployed Zêrevan forces, which are special troops, to the region. Moving this unit to the back of Zînî Wertê resulted in an increase in tension.  Among the forces deployed is, according to various sources, a group called 'Roj Pêşmerga'.

Furthermore, according to the information provided by villagers of Dola Şawrê and Wertê, among the KDP peshmergas who arrived in the region are also people who speak Turkish. The villagers stated that these people are MIT [Turkish Secret Service] members. In parallel with the PDK forces moving into the region, are the continous flight operated by Turkish state's war and reconnaissance planes.

Worried about all these developments, the political forces and residents in south of Kurdistan demand that the KDP withdraw its forces from the region. It is stated that if the KDP does not withdraw its forces and continues in this way, a war between Kurds may be inevitable, and once again, if this happens, the KDP will bear responsibility for this.