Turkish army advances 15 km in Kurdistan despite Iraqi silence

The Turkish army has advanced 15 kilometers inside Iraqi Kurdistan, targeting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of villages, according to a report by a conflict monitor published Sunday.

The incursion, which represents a significant escalation in Turkey’s military operations, took place amid conspicuous silence from Iraqi and Kurdish authorities, raising concerns about Iraq’s sovereignty and the safety of its citizens.

The ongoing operations have forced nearly 602 villages in Duhok province to evacuate, with villagers fleeing for fear of Turkish military bombardments that have also burned their farmland, according to a U.S.-based human rights organization monitoring the conflict.

Major General Tahseen Al-Khafaji, spokesman for the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, said: The New Arab He added that the Turkish operation was political and had no connection with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command. He referred additional questions to the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, which did not respond to requests for comment.

Efforts to contact Ahmed al-Sahaf, spokesman for the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, were unsuccessful.

TNA The Iraqi foreign minister also met with Sakfan Sindi, deputy chairman of the parliamentary committee for security and defense, from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). Sindi said there was a lack of information on the issue as parliament was on summer recess. He assured that after the recess, the committee would seek to understand the position of the Iraqi prime minister and the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi armed forces.

Last month, Turkey deployed hundreds of troops and military vehicles to the Kurdistan Region, setting up checkpoints and conducting military patrols in the Barwari Bala area of ​​Duhok province. The recent escalation of violence has spread fear among local villagers, leading to the abandonment of at least one village.

“The new operation in the Barwari Bala region demonstrates the depth of Turkish ground military operations in Iraqi Kurdistan. Turkish armed forces have advanced 15 kilometers into Iraqi Kurdistan territory,” said Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT), a U.S.-based human rights organization monitoring the conflict.

“Since the start of the new Turkish military operation, Turkey has carried out 238 bombings in Iraqi Kurdistan, mainly in Duhok province. As a result of the Turkish bombings, more than 20,000 dunams of agricultural land have burned,” the CPT added.

The incursion marks a significant escalation from Turkey’s 2021 operation, codenamed Claw-Lightning, when Turkish forces advanced 7 kilometers into the Kurdistan Region, CPT reported. The campaign is aimed at reducing PKK threats along the border.

The PKK, designated a terrorist organization by Ankara and much of the West, has waged an armed insurgency against Turkey for decades in a fight for greater rights for Kurds.

Turkish operations began near Kani Masi and Metina Mountain in Duhok province. Turkish soldiers, equipped with heavy weapons, set up several checkpoints, including near the villages of Balave and Belizani, along the main road connecting Bamarni and Kani Masi subdistricts, about 57 kilometers northeast of Duhok city.

Clashes between Turkish forces and PKK fighters have sparked numerous forest fires, with each side blaming the other for the fires. In the village of Sargale, about 55 percent of the farmland has been burned by Turkish attacks. Turkish military actions in Iraqi Kurdistan threaten to displace at least 602 villages, 162 of which have already been evacuated, according to the CPT.

Civilian infrastructure was also affected, including the destruction of a school in the village of Mizhe, Amedi district, and an Assyrian church in the town of Mishka.

The Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) have yet to issue any statement regarding the escalation of hostilities in Duhok province.

Earlier this year, Baghdad had listed the PKK as a banned organisation ahead of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Iraq in April. The two countries have signed several agreements, including on security.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan visited Baghdad on April 22, his first state visit to Iraq since 2011. During the visit, the two countries signed a joint security agreement allowing Turkey to conduct military operations against the PKK deep inside Iraqi territory. In exchange, Iraq will receive increased water flow from Turkey.

However, Ankara’s continued military strikes and ground troop deployments have sparked fear among villagers in the mountainous areas of Duhok province. Many residents fear being displaced due to mortar shelling and incessant gunfire.

CPT data indicates that Turkey carried out more than 1,076 attacks against the Kurdistan Region and Nineveh Province in 2024.

On Thursday, a statement from the Turkish Defense Ministry confirmed that one of its soldiers had been killed by the PKK in Duhok province.