By Vivek Thiagarajan
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East
IRBIL, Iraq- The Turkish parliament has approved a resolution to allow its military to attack Northern Iraq. Turkey is seeking to retaliate against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Over 30,000 people have died in the warfare between the PKK and the Turkish military. The PKK is a rebel militia based on fighting for liberty and independent statehood for the Kurds. In response to the Parliamentary vote, over 5,000 Kurds filled the streets in Irbil to protest the the possible invasion.
The Kurds are one of largest people groups without its own independent nation. Around 20 million Kurds live in Turkey, Iran, Iraq, and Syria. The Kurds are a largely Sunni Muslim people. Previous to World War I, the Kurds were a nomadic people. After World War I their lifestyle drastically changed forcing them to partially integrate their culture, which has caused them to fight for independent statehood.
This has caused tension between the Kurds and their host nations. Turkey has been reluctant to designate the Kurds as a minority people group and the Kurdish language was banned in Turkey until 1991. Also in Iraq during the Anfal war, over 100,000 Kurds were killed forcing many Kurds to flee to Iran for safety.
Currently, Ali Hassan al-Majid, Saddam Hussein’s cousin, widely known as ‘Chemical Ali’ for his usage of chemical agents to kill Kurds, is being held by the Iraqi government and will be executed in “the coming days.” (Al- Jazeera)
In response to the Turkish Parliament’s vote, the Kurds protested in the streets of Erbil, which is located in Northern Iraq. The Kurds have promised to support the PKK if the Turks attack Iraq. The Kurds believe that an attack against the PKK would be degrading the new found independence that the Iraqi Kurds have obtained since Saddam Hussein’s removal from office.
Turkey has stated that it would prefer the US and the Iraqi government to respond to the PKK’s attacks firmly and that invasion is not the first option. However, if the Turks do attack Iraq, then it is likely that the Kurds will stick together and fight back.
For more information, please see:
Al-Jazeera- ‘Chemical Ali’ execution ‘in days’- 18 October 2007
BBC News- Kurds ‘will fight Turkish raids’ – 19 October 2007
Bloomberg News- Turkey Urges U.S. to Seize PKK Rebels to Prevent Raid (Update2)- 18 October 2007
Encyclopedia Brittanica- The Kurds: People without a country- Accessed 20 October 2007
Reuters- Turkey expects US actions against Kurd rebels-PM- 20 October 2007
WashingtonPost.com- Who Are The Kurds?– Accessed 20 October 2007
USA Today- Iraqi Kurds protest Turkish incursion vote- 18 October 2007
