HDP says 'chemical warfare' allegations in Iraqi Kurdistan should be investigated

A 2021 protest by Kurds outside of the OPWC headquarters in the Hague.

Click to read the article in Turkish / Kurdish

The People's Democratic Party (HDP) has called on international institutions and the Kurdistan Regional Government to investigate allegations concerning Türkiye's use of chemical weapons in Kurdistan.

"There are serious reports and allegations that Turkey has been using chemical agents in its military operations in the territories of the Kurdistan Regional Government in Iraq since 2021, which according to international law constitutes a war crime," the party's Executive Council said in a written statement yesterday (October 18).

Some images recently published by some media outlets support such allegations," said the statement, adding, "We once again stress that use of chemical weapons is a violation of the Geneva Conventions, that it constitutes a war crime, and is a crime against humanity.

"We urge the democratic community to raise their voice in the face of such developments. AKP-MHP government insists on its policies based on military means and conflict which causes more crises each time.

"We call on international institutions, particularly the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the United Nations to carry out an efficient investigation on this issue. We also emphasize that the Kurdistan Regional Government should investigate these allegations of the use of chemical weapons and agents in their territories.

"We want to remind all parties once more that it was not possible to solve the Kurdish question through military means in the past, and it will not be possible to solve it by such means in the future, either. The only right path for the peoples in our country and in our region is dialogue and negotiations on democratic grounds." (AEK/PE)