NEWS CENTER - Turkey's attacks against Zap and Avaşîn continue at the same points, even after months. The use of chemical weapons in attacks where no progress was made, increased 15 times to 2,476.

 

Turkey's attacks against areas in the Federated Kurdistan Region continue with the support of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP). The attacks, which started in Bradost in 2018, were expanded to the Xakurkê region in May 2019. A large-scale attack was carried out in the Garê region on February 10, 2021. 13 captured soldiers, police and National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) members, including an Iraqi person lost their lives in the attacks carried out with 41 aircraft, many helicopters, drones and special units. When the desired result could not be achieved in Garê, this time Zap, Avaşîn and Metîna were targeted on April 23 of the same year. The use of chemical weapons and poison gas in these attacks came to the fore.

 

BALANCE SHEET OF THE MINISTRY

 

Two days after the Prime Minister of the Federal Kurdistan Region Mesrur Barzani met with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at Istanbul Dolmabahçe Palace on April 15, 2022 (April 17), a large-scale attack was launched against Zap and Avaşîn, both from the air and from the ground. The Ministry of Defense announced the names of 63 soldiers and rangers who have lost their lives in the attacks, which have been 6 months behind. The Ministry of Defense also announced that a helicopter had been "crashed".

 

HPG: 2 THOUSAND 346 SOLDIERS WERE KILLED

 

According to the 6-month balance sheet announced by the HPG, 2 thousand 346 soldiers and rangers, 17 of whom were rank, lost their lives in 6 months. During the clashes, 10 helicopters were shot down, the region was bombed 3,491 times with warplanes and 4,197 times with helicopters. In addition, thousands of attacks were carried out with howitzers and mortars. The most striking headline in the HPG statement was about the use of chemical weapons. In the statement, it was pointed out that the use of chemical weapons, which are considered crimes against humanity and prohibited by international conventions, has increased, and that banned bombs and chemical weapons were used 2,476 times in 6 months. In the balance sheet, it was also shared that 153 HPG and YJA-Star members lost their lives.

 

CHEMICAL ATTACKS: 44 HPG LOST THEIR LIVES

 

The identity information of HPG and YJA-Star members who lost their lives in chemical weapons attacks were announced after the 6-month balance sheet. It was stated that 27 HPG members died as a result of the use of chemical weapons in the first months of the attacks, and 17 HPG members in August, September and October.

 

THE NAMES OF SOLDIERS WHOSE DEATH WERE HIDDEN

 

HPG announced the identification tags of many soldiers whose names were not disclosed by the ministry in this process. The tags and images of the belongings of Yunus Eylik and Ali Taşkın, who were reported to have died on September 8, were published. It was stated that 2 soldiers lost their lives in the clash that broke out in the Girê Martyr Pîrdoxan area of Girê Amediyê, west of the Zap, on July 7. It was reported that the name of one of the soldiers who lost their lives was Naci Kaygısız and that the body was in the hands of HPG. Later, images of Kaygısız's body were published. It was stated that at least 10 soldiers lost their lives in the clashes that broke out in the Girê Cûdî Area on September 11 in the Zap region on September 12. It was recorded that the soldiers who lost their lives were Savaş, Fatih, Gökhan, Serkan, Burak, Naci, Harun, Mert, Oğuz and Fuat. In a statement on September 11, the Ministry of Defense announced that soldiers named Harun, Savaş, Gökhan and Fatih lost their lives. However, there was no information about the other soldiers.

 

ATTACKS WERE DROPPED FROM THE PUBLIC AGENDA

 

While the statements about the events in the region continued to come, the fact that the attacks were dropped from the public agenda after a short time was one of the most striking developments in this process. A few days later, pro-AKP-MHP media outlets began to make subheadings for the attacks, which they did not let go of at the last minute. After a while, the developments that were served at the last minute were replaced by only ministry statements.

 

TURKEY CANNOT PROGRESS

 

Turkey's inability to advance in the areas it attacked and not getting the "results" it wanted are cited as the main reasons for this situation. The information on the areas where the conflicts continue in the monthly balance sheets confirms these reasons. The clashes still continue at the same points, even after 6 months. Despite the support of the KDP, Turkey has not made any progress in the areas it first attacked.

 

CHEMICAL ATTACKS INCREASED 15 TIMES MORE

 

While the attacks continued in the same areas, Turkey's chemical weapons attacks, which could not make any progress, also increased. In the first month of the attacks, it was announced that chemical weapons were used in the region 164 times. However, after 6 months, this number increased 15 times more and reached 2,476.