On the night of December 18, the Turkish army entered the area known as the Bradost zone in Southern Kurdistan, that encompasses Geliyê Reş, Heci Beg River, Siro Mountain and its surroundings and villages Bermize, Çinarok, Eşime Nu, Eşime Kewn and Kevnegund and their surroundings, from Hakkari’s Şemdinli district for an invasion.

Turkish soldiers are reportedly preparing to build 3 military bases in the Siro Mountain, the Keçini Hill that overlooks Deşta Heyatê and the Mavan strait in the Bradost Zone. Residents of Siro village which is below the Keçini Hill in Deşta Heyatê protested the Turkish state and said KDP has been given an important role in this invasion.

KDP GATHERS INTELLIGENCE FOR TURKISH SOLDIERS

A villager who wished to stay anonymous said the following on the KDP forces and security forces:

“The day Turkey entered our region for the invasion, KDP’s Spayi Barzan forces were transferred here. These forces used to be tasked with preventing guerrilla movement in the area, and now they are almost tasked with the security of Turkish soldiers. They raid our homes at night and threaten to hand people who help the guerrilla, engage with the guerrilla, or give them information over to Turkey. This shows that they have dirty plans against our area together with Turkey.”

The villager said shepherds, youth and residents are not allowed near the military areas and continued: “Our animals can’t go up to the fields anymore. Our shepherds can’t move around. We can’t go up to the fields to gather wood for the winter. Our own land has been banned for us. And the security forces threaten to capture us when people go to the fields and take photographs in military areas.”

VILLAGE GUARDS IN THE NORTH, KDP IN THE SOUTH

Meanwhile it came to light that some village guards the Turkish army brought along have been receiving peshmerga salaries. A resident of Diyana who wished to remain anonymous said some people from Şemdinli were receiving Peshmerga salaries in the South and worked as a village guard in the North. The resident said some of these people were brought into the area for the invasion and added: “These people all receive peshmerga salaries from the KDP, and village guard salaries from Turkey. This practice will make Southern Kurdistan a permanent colony of Turkey. This is very dangerous. And it might cause a new civil war among Kurds. Turkey’s goal is to pit Kurds against each other. I hope that the KDP gives up this policy soon.”