Turkey bombs Iraqi Kurdistan for second day

Warplanes took off for second day of bombing
Between 12 and 16 Turkish warplanes took off from Diyarbak?r, on Thursday around 6.30pm heading for the second day in a row towards the Kurdish Federal Region. The second day of bombing the areas of Kandil, Zap, X?nere, Xaxurk and Metina started in the morning some time before the Turkish Security Council (MGK) met in Ankara to discuss the strategy against the PKK, Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
The raids began soon after Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an said he “had run out of patience” and vowed to “put an end to the PKK”.
The bombing hit several civilian targets and although it was not clear whether there had been any casualties, it was confirmed that some villagers suffered injuries.

In a written statement issued after the meeting the Security Council said it would adopt a “more effective and decisive fight in the fight against terrorism.”

The statement also vowed that Turkey will never compromise of principles of what it said “one flag, one nation, one homeland and one state,” adding that Turkey will not tolerate anything that could harm the indivisible unity of country and unity and brotherhood of the people.

After a first day of silence the speaker of parliament in the Kurdish Federal Region finally stated that the raids are “a clear violation of Iraq’s sovereignty”. Kamal Kirkuki added: “We strongly condemn the shelling by Turkey and any other party on Iraqi soil.”

On Wednesday a military convoy at Çukurca (Hakkari province) was attacked. The General Staff said nine soldiers and one member of the state-backed village guard militia were killed. Fifteen troops were wounded.

That the government has chosen the path war in this phase is confirmed by the fact that for the seventh time in a row lawyers of Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan have been denied access to their client. Ocalan has offered his contribution to build a process leading to a lasting and just peace. The fact that his lawyers are denied visits is worrying and has caused the PKK to express fear for Ocalan’s life.

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