Constant Turkish bombardment deprives Duhok villagers of normal life
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Turkish army bombed the vicinity of two villages in Duhok province’s Amedi town on Monday, damaging orchards and farms. A villager said the constant bombardment by Ankara has deprived them of a normal life.
Majid Barchi is from Barchi village. He told Rudaw’s Haydar Doski that a bomb hit only 300 kilometers away from their village on Monday, sparking fear and panic among restless residents wishing for a return to normalcy.
“We are really in a terrible condition. The bombardment takes place every day. We live in fear as we cannot go out or visit farms,” he said.
Many trees in the area were also damaged due to the bombardment.
As the Rudaw team made preparations for a trip to Belav village, another bomb hit a nearby village. Ankara struck the area with at least 13 bombs only on Monday, villagers said.
Amjad Belavi from Belav village said he fears for his life when leaving his house due to the bombardment.
“My farm is only 20 meters away from my house but I hesitantly visit it,” he said, calling on local authorities to help them have a normal life “otherwise the village will be abandoned.”
Turkey’s armed clashes with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have turned hundreds of villages in the Kurdistan Region’s border areas into war zones. A large number of them have been evacuated due to constant bombardment.
The PKK is an armed group struggling for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey but it is listed as a terrorist group by Ankara.
Turkey has recently upped its attacks against the PKK in the Kurdistan Region. It has also intensified its targeting of Kurdish fighters in northern Syria due to their alleged ties with the PKK.
The PKK announced a unilateral ceasefire in February due to devastating quakes in Turkey and later extended it to include the Turkish elections period. The group ended the truce earlier this month.
Majid Barchi is from Barchi village. He told Rudaw’s Haydar Doski that a bomb hit only 300 kilometers away from their village on Monday, sparking fear and panic among restless residents wishing for a return to normalcy.
“We are really in a terrible condition. The bombardment takes place every day. We live in fear as we cannot go out or visit farms,” he said.
Many trees in the area were also damaged due to the bombardment.
As the Rudaw team made preparations for a trip to Belav village, another bomb hit a nearby village. Ankara struck the area with at least 13 bombs only on Monday, villagers said.
Amjad Belavi from Belav village said he fears for his life when leaving his house due to the bombardment.
“My farm is only 20 meters away from my house but I hesitantly visit it,” he said, calling on local authorities to help them have a normal life “otherwise the village will be abandoned.”
Turkey’s armed clashes with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) have turned hundreds of villages in the Kurdistan Region’s border areas into war zones. A large number of them have been evacuated due to constant bombardment.
The PKK is an armed group struggling for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey but it is listed as a terrorist group by Ankara.
Turkey has recently upped its attacks against the PKK in the Kurdistan Region. It has also intensified its targeting of Kurdish fighters in northern Syria due to their alleged ties with the PKK.
The PKK announced a unilateral ceasefire in February due to devastating quakes in Turkey and later extended it to include the Turkish elections period. The group ended the truce earlier this month.