bIn retaliatory strikes against Kurdish militias in northern Iraq and Syria, Turkey says it has “neutralized” 59 people. Defense Minister Yaşar Güler said on Wednesday that 71 targets had been bombed, including oil production facilities, warehouses, caves and military shelters. The Turkish military was reacting to the death of twelve of its own soldiers in northern Iraq, who were killed in clashes with the Kurdish terrorist group PKK shortly before Christmas. The PKK headquarters is located in the area.
The Kurdish YPG militia, which Turkey sees as an offshoot of the PKK, operates in Syria, where Turkey also carried out air strikes. She leads the Syrian Democratic Forces, which is supported by the USA in the fight against the terrorist militia IS. A similar campaign by the Turkish Air Force following a PKK attack in Ankara in October led to tensions between Turkey and America at the time.
In parliament in Ankara, the mourning for the twelve soldiers was overshadowed by political disputes. The opposition parties CHP and DEM refused to sign a joint statement condemning the killing of the soldiers and calling for unity in the country. The CHP released its own, similar statement. At the same time, she accused the Defense Ministry of not informing Parliament about the details of the incident.
The pro-Kurdish DEM party (formerly HDP) fundamentally refuses to make such statements because it considers the Turkish military operations to be contrary to international law and accuses the army of also targeting civilians. The PKK-affiliated news website ANF claimed on Thursday that 56 civilians were killed in the airstrikes. Local media also reported the destruction of a medical facility. The European Union also regularly criticizes Turkey's military actions in Syria and Iraq.
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