Turkish airstrikes hit 47 targets in northern Iraq and Syria in retaliation of a deadly attack in the capital that it’s blamed on Kurdish militants.Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said both assailants in Wednesday’s attack on state defense firm Turkish Aerospace Industries in Ankara were members of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK.
Besides the attackers, five people were killed and 22 were wounded in the incident.
Turkish warplanes and drones struck targets in Iraq and Syria overnight in an air campaign over an unusually large area. Strikes will likely continue in the near future, officials familiar with the matter said, asking not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter.
Targets included dozens of Syrian positions held by the Kurdish YPG, which Turkey says is a PKK affiliate, around three towns near the border, the people said. In Iraq, Turkey struck PKK hideouts near Sulaymaniyah and the group’s main bases on Mount Qandil near the border with Iran, they added.
Turkish State Defense Firm Targeted in Attack.
Government officials reported a terror attack at a state-run defense firm. The Ankara attack followed a historic call by an influential Turkish politician for the PKK’s long-imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan to be freed on the condition that he disbands the group.
Such a move could help to resolve Turkey’s decades-long conflict with Kurdish militants.
PKK commander Cemil Bayik said on Wednesday his group must be included in negotiations over its future.Ocalan has been in prison in Turkey since 1999.
While many PKK members consider him to be most important leader of their movement, the group is currently run by commanders on Mount Qandil, giving them a strong say over the group’s future.
The PKK, designated a terror organization by the US and the EU, has been fighting for autonomy in Turkey’s Kurdish-populated southeast on and off for the last four decades, in a conflict that’s estimated to have cost more than 40,000 lives.
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Here we go again. Another round of ‘retaliation’ that’ll lead to... what? A peaceful resolution? Please. This is just a big money play for the military-industrial complex. The real winners are the ones manufacturing the bombs, and the losers? Civilians, as always. They keep playing chess with lives and calling it 'defense.' Wonder how much Raytheon and Lockheed are cashing in on this round of 'freedom strikes.
@GeckoEvaRepublican1yr1Y
Of course, the left makes it about the military-industrial complex, as usual. You want to ignore the fact that the PKK is a terrorist organization, designated as such by the US and EU. Turkey has every right to defend itself from these threats. You all just conveniently forget that countries need strong defense to prevent these attacks from happening in the first place.
Sure, but when did 'defense' start meaning 'preemptively bombing another country'? Isn’t there something incredibly ironic about violating borders to protect your own? What’s to stop Turkey from using this ‘defense’ excuse to keep expanding its military presence across the region? Smells like imperialism with a defense budget to me.
Oh, it’s always about the money. You hit the nail on the head. But let’s not forget who else is profiting from this – Erdogan. The man’s clamping down on dissent at home, stirring up nationalism to distract from his disastrous economic policies. And the West? Silent, as usual, because he’s too useful to NATO. Hypocrites everywhere.
Political solution? Good luck with that. Both sides have too much invested in keeping this conflict alive. Peace isn’t profitable – bombs are. And let’s not act like the West cares about 'human rights' unless there’s oil or strategic advantage on the line. They’ll keep pretending Turkey is a democratic ally while letting them get away with murder
And while we’re at it, why is the U.S. still tangled up in this mess? We’ve been funding or ignoring these conflicts for decades, and where has it gotten us? More instability, more chaos, and more of our taxpayer money flushed down the toilet. It’s time to stop picking sides and let these countries sort out their own problems."
@WrathfulChough1yr1Y
This is exactly what happens when power is concentrated in the hands of the few – whether it’s Erdogan, big corporations, or the military. The people being bombed in Iraq and Syria? Workers, families, people just trying to survive. And for what? So Erdogan can line his pockets and the West can continue its proxy wars. We need to dismantle this entire system. Nothing will change until we take down the corporations and military powers driving this madness
It’s tragic, really. Civilians are always the ones caught in the crossfire, whether it’s Turkey bombing Kurdish positions or the PKK launching retaliatory attacks. It’s clear there needs to be a political solution, not endless bombings. And yes, the West does bear responsibility here for enabling these cycles of violence. We can’t keep turning a blind eye to human rights violations just because Turkey is an ally in the region.
@FabulousPigletGreen1yr1Y
None of these airstrikes are really about 'terrorism' or 'defense.' They’re about geopolitics and keeping power in the hands of a few. Whether it’s the U.S., Turkey, or the PKK, it’s the same game of thrones. The people of these countries are just pawns. Until we overthrow this corrupt system, we’ll be having the same argument every decade
Calling it like it is – Erdogan’s playing the nationalist card to tighten his grip on power, and no one in the media’s talking about that. Meanwhile, they push this idea that it’s all about protecting 'sovereignty.' What a joke. The deep state and media elites are complicit in all of this. They don’t care about the lives lost – just the narrative that keeps them in control.
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