Turkish Air Forces Kill 35 Civilians, Wound 20 In Strike Against PKK

Turkish Air Forces

Turkish airplanes on Thursday killed 35 smugglers and other civilians and wounded more than 20 civilians during an air strike operation meant to eliminate members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party near the Iraqi border. The Turkish air forces struck the region for about an hour, following images transmitted by drones in which a group was attempting to cross the border from Iraq into Turkey.

The incident, which the spokesman for the Justice and Development party in power in Turkey called an “operational error,” may undermine the efforts made by the government to end unrest in the region.

The tragedy occurs as the premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan faces challenges to end Kurdish unrest, as deputy prime ministers Bulent Arinc and Besir Atalay expressed the opinion that the government must recognize the Kurdish identity and give the largest minority in the country more cultural and constitutional rights.

Thousands of Kurds protested in the wake of the attacks in many cities of the country. About 1,000 people participated in a demonstration in the southeastern town of Yuksekova.

Turkish National Security Council, which is composed of both civilian and military, decided that the operations against PKK must continue “with determination.” This prompted international analysts to consider that the situation could escalate as the military response demands more powerful than the democratic rule.

The continuing of bombings could give the Kurds a sense that the government is not seeking any peaceful solution.

150 PKK soldiers were killed by Turkey in air strikes since August. The government sent troops in Iraqi Kurdistan following the deadliest attacks in October.