Turkish warplanes bomb South Kurdistan
by editor | 2011-08-18 6:19 am
Kandil council Youth centre hit by Turkish planes
At least 15 Turkish warplanes bombed Kurdish guerrilla positions in South Kurdistan. The planes set off from Diyarbakir in the afternoon. Since 1pm the unmistakable noise of the F-16 could be heard in the Kurdish city. Heavy movements of soldiers were also reported in the city.
According to local sources Turkish warplanes started bombing Kandil, Metina, Zap and Xinere areas where PKK (Kurdistan Workers’Party) guerrillas are based.
The bombing started at 21:00 local time. The first bombing lasted some three hours while a second bombing began at around 2am.
There are no immidiate reports of casualities but locals said a number of villagers were wounded in Kandil’s Zergele village. Kandil council Youth center has been hit.
The raids came after an explosion in the morning in Hakkari had left 11 soldiers and one village guard dead.
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdo?an, who has been speaking war words all week, has said that those who carried out such attacks would “pay the price. Our patience has finally run out. – the Prime Minister added – Those who do not distance themselves from terrorism will pay the price”.
Commenting on the killing of soldiers on Wednesday and recent remarks by Erdo?an, who said that after Ramadan a new heavy operation will be launched to counter the PKK, President Abdullah Gül said Turkey is not waiting for the end of Ramadan when it comes to counterterrorism measures.
“It is out of question that authorities wait for the end of Ramadan in the fight against terror. Counterterrorism efforts are under way in all dimensions. There is no weakness in the face of terrorism. Everyone should know that there is no power above the power of the state. Whoever thinks that he can bring Turkey into line with terror, violence and weapons is greatly misled. The cost of this will also be very heavy,” he said.
In reality Turkey has never stopped its military operations. Indeed it is not just war which is continuing but also repression and scores of arrests aimed at hitting Kurdish politicians and activists.
Source URL: https://globalrights.info/2011/08/turkish-warplanes-bomb-south-kurdistan/