Launched on April 17, the NATO and KDP-backed Turkish attacks against Medya Defense Zones in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq), have caused world-wide reactions. Statements released by activist groups and politicians condemned the Turkish invasion operation which is taking place with the support of Kurdistan region’s ruling party KDP.

WAS: WE STAND BY KURDISH PEOPLE AGAINST ERDOGAN DICTATORSHIP

The Workers Against Sectarianism (WAS), which was established in Baghdad as part of the 2019 protest movement in Iraq, made a statement about the Turkish invasion attack in the Zap region, saying that, “Our solidarity is with the Kurdish people against the Erdogan dictatorship,”

“This Turkish occupation policy enrages Iraqi society as a whole. As Iran and its militias intervene in Iraq on one hand, Turkey bombs and occupies Kurdish areas along with American control in Iraq, consolidating the idea that the country does not have state sovereignty. The Iraqis feel that they have no homeland, no sovereignty, no political representation in the government, and that they are at the mercy of a dictatorial state,” the statement said.

DEMO OUTSIDE THE TURKISH EMBASSY

“Today, activists are holding a 'Central Committee of Protest' to take a firm stance against the Turkish occupation in particular and the continuous interference against Iraqi sovereignty in general. In a recent statement, this committee condemned Turkish military operations in the Kurdish region and announced that a delegation would visit the Turkish embassy in the Green Zone in Baghdad and formally submit the statement. If the Turkish government does not respond to the demands of the demonstrators and does not withdraw from the Kurdistan region, the Central Committee will hold a large-scale demonstration outside the Turkish embassy. Our solidarity is with the Kurdish people against the Erdogan dictatorship,” the statement added.

'ERDOGAN TAKES ADVANTAGE OF THE UKRANIAN WAR'

Swiss Basel Canton Social Democratic Party Vice-Chair Marcel Colomb wrote on his Twitter account that the Turkish state attacked the Kurds on Easter, taking advantage of the war in Ukraine. Colomb criticized the silence in the western countries, saying that “Erdogan is using the war in Ukraine in his fight against the Kurds. The Easter offensive in northern Iraq shows this clearly.Loud silence in the West.”

'INTERNATIONAL LAW VIOLATED IN KURDISTAN'

German Left Party Die LINKE Leipzig City Councillor Michael Neuhaus criticized the silence of the German government towards the Turkish occupation, which violates international law. “Reminding every day again that NATO partner #Turkey is currently waging a war in #South Kurdistan in Iraq in violation of international law and the German government is silent about it, “Neuhaus wrote on Twitter.

THURINGEN GOVERNOR RESPONDS TO ERDOĞAN

German Thüringen governor Bodo Ramelow stated that Turkey violated international law and took advantage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Referring to a recent statement of Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan at a group meeting, Ramelow wrote that Erdogan despised humanity. “NATO partner Turkey is taking advantage of Russia's war against Ukraine, which is violating international law, to violate international law,” Ramelow wrote on his Twitter account.

AYMAZ: NATO SHOULD SAY WHETHER IT BACKS TURKISH OFFENSIVE

German Green Party Deputy Berivan Aymaz asked whether the Turkish state was endorsed by NATO in its invasion offensive. “Is Erdogan lying to the world public opinion? While Baghdad was protesting the Turkish attack in the Kurdistan region, the Kurdish Peshmerga Ministry declared that it did not cooperate with Turkey. Now #NATO must disclose whether it coordinated the Turkish attack,” Aymaz wrote on Twitter.

DEMIREL CRITICIZES SILENCE

DIE LINKE's Spokeswoman for Foreign and Peace Policy in the European Parliament, Özlem Alev Demirel, described the Turkish offensive as “an act against international law based on cynical self-defence claims”. Demirel pointed out that the KDP supports the Turkish attacks, saying, “What is more striking is the silence of the EU, NATO and member states. Principles such as sovereignty, territorial integrity, etc. seem to be valid only in Europe or only when the interests of the US and the EU are at risk.”

'KURDISH STRUGGLE IS LEGITIMATE'

“I urge the Turkish government to immediately end its military operations and interventions in Iraq and Syria as they cause death and suffering and destroy the peaceful coexistence of different peoples in the region,” Demirel noted.

“The legitimate democratic demands of the Kurds living in Turkey and neighbouring countries should not be suppressed by the policy of 'fighting terrorism'. A sustainable political solution to the Kurdish problem is needed, rather than continuing military interventions against the Kurds in neighbouring countries and political pressures inside Turkey. The Kurds should also be granted the right to shape their future under equal conditions and self-determination.

Furthermore, this military offensive serves the Turkish rulers to promote nationalism at home in order to divert Turkish people’s attention from the country's real economic and social problems and to suppress the opposition which advocates democracy and equality.”