Turkey retaliates at home, abroad after troops killed in Iraq

Turkish forces regularly carry out strikes in neighbouring Iraq as part of its offensive against PKK militants based there [Getty]

On Monday, Turkey announced that its air force had “neutralized” 26 Kurdish militants through airstrikes in Syria and northern Iraq in retaliation for the killing of 12 Turkish soldiers by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) over the weekend. The term “neutralized” in this context is typically used by Ankara to indicate that the individuals were killed. The Turkish Defence Minister, Yasar Guler, reported that a total of 56 militants had been neutralized since the weekend.

The PKK, considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, has been in conflict with the Turkish state since 1984. Turkish forces regularly conduct operations and airstrikes in northern Iraq against PKK militants.

In addition to military actions, Turkish authorities detained 52 individuals at a youth event organized by the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM), formerly known as HDP, in Diyarbakir. The detainees were charged with “praising crime and the criminal” and “spreading terrorist organization propaganda.” The DEM, as the third-largest party in parliament, condemned the detentions as politically motivated and called for the immediate release of the detainees.

Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc stated on social media that arrest warrants were issued for others involved. Furthermore, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced investigations into 57 social media accounts accused of posting content against Turkey’s armed forces, resulting in the detention of four individuals. Yerlikaya emphasized that those attempting to create discord, praise terrorism, and insult national and moral values would be held accountable before the law.

President Tayyip Erdogan and his government have repeatedly accused the pro-Kurdish opposition party of having ties to the PKK. Over the years, numerous party officials have been arrested, although the party denies allegations of militant links.