The Turkish government closed its airspace to flights to and from Sulaymaniyah Airport on April 3 and attacked the airport with armed drones on April 7. The Turkish state, which freely carries out attacks anywhere in Bashur (South Kurdistan), has bombed several locations in Sulaymaniyah, including civilian settlements and public utilities.

The Democratic Society Movement (TEV-DEM) Co-Chair Ehmed spoke to ANF about the attack on Sulaymaniyah Airport and its goals.

Ehmed pointed out that it was not a coincidence that this attack took place amid the negotiations between Qamishlo and Sulaymaniyah over Kurdish National Unity. She said: “There have been discussions and efforts concerning Kurdish National Unity for a while. The visit of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) Leader Bafl Talabani to Rojava paved the way for talks. There are reciprocal visits between Sulaymaniyah, Qamishlo and Amed (Diyarbakır). In particular, the Sulaymaniyah region is an important place for Kurdish national unity activities. Targeting Sulaymaniyah Airport is tantamount to targeting the national unity of the Kurdish people. They wanted to overshadow the efforts of national unity. It is certainly not a coincidence that this attack was carried out amid the talks between Kurdish forces.”

TARGETS OF THE DRONE ATTACK

Ehmed listed the goals of the Turkish fascist government and its collaborators as follows: “The target is Kurdish national unity, which will be a source of hope and inspiration for the Middle East and all humanity, our people's hopes and expectations for national unity and peace and stability in both regions. Moreover, they aimed to cripple the 14 May elections to be held in Bakûr (North Kurdistan) and Turkey, which will significantly affect the Kurds, and the Kurds’ struggle against ISIS, which poses serious danger to the whole world. (The targeted group was stated to be a team involved in the fight against ISIS.)”

Ehmed also warned the KDP, which seeks to legitimize the Sulaymaniyah attack that posed a serious danger to the Kurds and all the people living in the region. She concluded: "We disagree with the KDP's statements that seek to legitimize the attack carried out by the Turkish state. We are warning the KDP once again about this. Our people in South Kurdistan, especially those in Sulaymaniyah, are politically minded. They are aware of what this attack means and why it took place.”