Ground Operations Alert

The Kurdish Regional Administration reportedly warned inhabitants of the Sidekan region to leave their villages saying that the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) are going to carry out a ground operation. Sidekan is a mountainous area in Northern Iraq, an area where many hideouts of the armed militant Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) are located.

According to information conveyed to Fırat News Agency by local sources, officials of the Kurdish Regional Administration visited villages in Sidekan and warned them about the "ground operation". The officials encouraged the locals to leave their villages since the administration would not be able to protect them. It was said that the villagers did not follow their request.

Massoud Barzani, President of the Iraqi Kurdish Region, said in an announcement made on Tuesday (23 August), "In case of a ground war in their region, they will resume the necessary attitude. Yet, right now diplomacy is important".

The TSK started sending personnel to the border region on Tuesday. It was announced that 2,000 commandos were sent. The TSK has also done logistic transfers before.

Peace Marches of Democratic Society Congress and workers

The pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Congress (DTK) announced after the evaluation meeting of the DTK Organizing Committee to organize a mass walk to the border.

The DTK declared that the south-eastern provinces of Şırnak, Siirt, Mardin, Diyarbakır, Bingöl, Elazığ, Dersim and other provinces will conduct a mass peace march to the borderline on 27 August. The provinces of Hakkari, Van, Iğdır, Kars, Ağrı, Erzurum, Muş, Bitlis and others will make a peace march to the Turkish-Iraqi border of the Hakkari province.

Workers will march as well

The Confederation of Trade Unions of Public Employees (KESK) also announced to carry out a march on 27 August when the workers will walk to the border. Seyfettin Polat, current spokesman of the KESK Branches Platform, told bianet, "The workers want peace. (...). Sources allocated to war are being wasted in a country were the hunger threshold has been significantly raised."

Polat underlined that the march to the border was a move of peace. "We are against the killing of civilians, against shedding the blood of young people and destroying the nature", he said.

"We must not refrain from the axes of security for a peaceful and democratic solution. We want to draw attention to peace by walking to the border. We walk to the border so that the blood of our brothers and sisters will not be shed. A huge crowd of regional people walks to the borderline and the workers will walk with them". (AS/GY)