The inhabitants of more than 800 Iraqi villages on the border with Turkey and Iran have been forced to flee their homes due to military operations in Ankara and Tehran. In a statement released on 22 September, Dindar Zebari, representative of foreign relations of the Kurdistan regional government, stated that “in the last eight months, several artillery rounds and six land attacks have been launched”. Zebari stressed that these attacks resulted in several deaths and injuries, as well as destroying some buildings and properties and damaging agricultural land and forest areas.
Both of Iraq’s strong neighbors are fighting their respective rebel adversaries within Iraqi borders. The Turkish army is fighting hard against the most militant wing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Iran for its part has mobilized its artillery and air forces against the fighters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party. Both parties have settled in the rugged border areas inside Iraq.
Diplomatic tensions
Journalist Bassem Francis, who lives in the Kurdish Autonomous Region, calls it a “bloody competition between the two neighbors to expand their military influence in Iraqi Kurdistan before the US withdraws at the end of the year.”
According to available data, there are between 27 and 35 Turkish military barracks and bases in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Diplomatic tensions between the two neighbors erupted in late February, following one statement by the Iranian ambassador to Baghdad, Iraj Masjedi, who refused “Turkish military intervention in Iraq”, demanding the immediate withdrawal of Ankara’s forces. The reaction of the Turkish counterpart came via Twitter: “The Iranian ambassador is the last to be able to give lessons to Turkey on respecting the borders of Iraq”.
The Iraqi chief of staff said he was “amazed” by the statements attributed to the chief of staff of Tehran, General Muhammad Hussein Bagheri, regarding the presence of hostile movements from Iraqi territory to Iran.
Baghdad is in a far from enviable position, being the weakest link among its neighbors. Targeting the Kurds means taking it out on all of Iraq.
(Translation by Francesco De Lellis)
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