Peace in Kurdistan Campaign said in a statement that “Turkey’s bid to exterminate Kurds cannot succeed.”
The statement said that “while President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey parades himself on the world stage in the guise of a peace maker vis-à-vis the Ukraine-Russia conflict, the Turkish armed forces have been conducting a brutal military operation against the Kurds in Southern Kurdistan and Rojava.

Since the start of its full-blown air and ground operation, codenamed Operation Claw Lock, Turkey has attacked dozens of Kurdish targets across the border in Southern Kurdistan (the Kurdish region of Iraq).

The Turkish Defence Ministry claims that its offensive is being carried out in coordination with the country’s “friends and allies”. It is known that Erdogan had met on the eve of launching the military action with Masrour Barzani, prime minister of the Kurdistan regional government.

In blood-curdling comments, the Turkish Defence Minister, Hulusi Akar, stated that the strikes would continue “until the last terrorist was dead”.

Erdogan also threatened Syrian Kurds that Rojava would not be exempt from this military assault which is targeting Kurdish bases in the Qandil Mountains on the Iraq-Iran border and in Syrian territory.”

The statement continued: “The Kurds are warning that the scale of Turkey’s renewed attack amounts to a move to exterminate them. Peace in Kurdistan shares the fears of the Kurds and demands that Erdogan be brought to heal.

Unfortunately, Turkey’s war is receiving scant attention from the international media and Western politicians who seem able to issue round the clock commentary on the conflict in Ukraine.

Meanwhile, a cascade of Turkish shells bombarded the city of Kobani including artillery and drone strikes on Kurdish units in Syria. These same units have put up heroic resistance to the onslaught from the Islamic State group (ISIS) and won the admiration of the world.

PIK reminds the world that the Kurds are still a key partner in the international military coalition in the fight against ISIS. As such, we find it to be distinctly odd, and indeed alarming, that Turkey’s latest attacks on this resistance to ISIS have hardly provoked a word of criticism from Washington, Brussels or London. That silence is shameful.

The assault on Kurdish positions in Syria are a clear violation of the ceasefire brokered by the United States in October 2019, which the Kurdish side remains pledged to fully upholding.”

Peace in Kurdistan said it “totally condemns Turkey’s military operation which is in breach of an agreed international ceasefire.”

Peace in Kurdistan “shares the opinions of those who warn that Erdogan is using the global media and political focus on Ukraine as a cover to conduct its latest war against the Kurds. The Turkish government also stands accused of opportunistically stepping up the war in order to divert public anxieties about the mounting economic crisis inside the country.”

PIK reiterates its position that “negotiations between Turkey and the Kurds remain the only realistic option for resolving the historic conflict and bringing about a lasting peace between the Turkish state and the Kurdish movement led by the PKK.

Turkey is inflicting yet more death and misery on the Kurdish people, including civilian casualties. The action increases tensions between Ankara and Baghdad and will destabilise the region with untold consequences.

By attacking and seeking to weaken Kurdish democratic forces in Syria, in particular, the Turkish operation will be welcomed as a gift by ISIS, assisting in the terrorist group’s resurgence and leading to a renewal of its menace to the people of the region and the world.” 

Peace in Kurdistan said that “Turkey must be forced to halt its military intervention immediately. Ankara must not be allowed to get away with this brutal war against the Kurds.”

The statement called “upon political leaders in Washington, Westminster, Paris, Berlin and Brussels to act for peace by speaking out clearly and strongly against Turkey’s rogue operations.

The Kurds continue to stand full square for peace. They are pledged wholeheartedly to achieving peace through reconciliation. The search for justice for the Kurdish people is a perfectly legitimate, reasonable and achievable demand. In fact, this offers the only way forward. Peace in Kurdistan calls on all political parties to redouble efforts and work for that end. Ankara’s attempt to eliminate the Kurds is futile and cannot succeed.”