Two international press organizations have condemned a recent drone strike in the Kurdistan region of Iraq that resulted in the deaths of two journalists.
The Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have urged Turkey to investigate the Aug 23 attack.
The attack killed Gulistan Tara, 40, and Hero Bahadin, 27, and injured Rebin Bakir. All three journalists worked for Chatr Multimedia Production Company, which operates several news outlets aligned with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant group.
Journalists killed in suspected Turkish airstrike in Iraq’s Kurdistan region
'One of the most dangerous places'
Jonathan Dager, head of the RSF’s Middle East Desk, said, “With three media workers killed in less than two months, the autonomous region of Iraqi Kurdistan is becoming one of the world’s most dangerous places for reporters,” referring to a previous drone strike suspected to have been carried out by Turkey in June.
He condemned the strike and called on the Kurdish authorities to “shed full light on this crime that took place on their territory.”
CPJ also condemned the attack and urged Turkey to investigate the incident. The group spoke with Kamal Hamaraza, head of the Chatr company, who said the journalists had “no direct or indirect connection to politics or military activities.”
“We have faced ongoing threats from Turkish attacks due to our consistent coverage of their operations and violations in the Kurdistan region,” Hamaraza said.
Ministry official's denial
Despite local reports suggesting that the attack was carried out by the Turkish military, Ankara has yet to make an official statement on the matter.
The AFP news agency cited an anonymous source within the Defense Ministry who said the strike was not carried out by the Turkish army. However, Turkey’s National Intelligence Agency (MİT) is also known to conduct drone strikes in Iraq and Syria, and since it operates independently of the Defense Ministry, the official’s statement likely does not rule out the possibility of MİT involvement.
“The Turkish authorities must be held to account. The Turkish defense ministry’s denial is insufficient,” said RSF’s Dagher. “Kurdish journalists must be safe and justice must be rendered to Bahaden and Tara.”
The Iraqi media revealed that another vehicle was also damaged in the attack but the identities of those inside this SUV-type car have not been revealed. Initial reports from Iraqi sources had suggested that PKK executives were targeted in the strike. (VK)