Rojava/ Kurdish Regions Newswire

[Sasha]

So what would be the partions, the economic importance shia and alawi/christian areas remain in regimes hand, the Kurds get the border with turkey in a tactical pact and the Sunnis can squabble among themselves for the dessert areas and allepo and raqqa? And Damascus becomes this weird twilight zone with the main city firmly in regime hands and the suburbs contested, going back and forth between regime and rebels?

Even this regime must know that sooner or later they are going to drop a barrel bomb or chlorine attack to many and they will be invaded, either by turkey alone or the whole NATO.
Or do they hope that Daesh by that time will have made them the lesser evil enough that they can come to a situation where they will at least escape war crime prosecutions and get a comfortable retirement in a 3th country.

[Sentinel]

According to the Firat News agency the HPG celebrated the anniversary of the founding of the PKK yesterday by killing 21 Turkish soldiers and 4 cops. 4 armoured vehicles and a Cobra-type helicopter were also damaged during the operations.

[John Nada]

Assad's strategy seems to be retreat to and defend strategically important areas, such as the coastline and major cities, and attempt to regroup. There have been a lot of articles recently about the Regime's seeming acceptance at the possibility of the country's partition. One of the bigger problems the Regime is facing is mass-desertion. I think they basically just don't have the man-power to actually wage any sort of legitimate offensive to recapture large swathes of the country. So long as they control the 'important' bits, then I think it's a question of partitioning the country and then just waiting to see what happens. Seems like a sensible strategy to be honest.

I remember Assad's interview on "60 Minutes", he said that the war was not over land, infrastructure or territory, but the hearts and minds of the people. Of course, I doubt that means he's trying to get everyone to like him. Both Assad and a lot of the rebels(including Daesh) idea of winning "hearts and minds" is alternating between charity and smiles for the camera, and scaring the fuck out of people with atrocities.

Losing much of Syria is not just a strategic retreat on part of the SAA. It's also a strategic attack in the lesser cities and countryside by many of the rebels. From there, launch mobile war in the desert from the bases towards attack zones cities. Then finish the defenders of the cites and bases with an offensive.

Losing territory is often no big lose. Even those maps of Syria, Iraq or Rojava don't necessarily reflect whether a faction has full control, local support, maneuverability or launch an attack. But it does seem that the YPG/YPJ, FSA, JAN, and Daesh are taking the less important areas, and the Syrian government has given up fighting outside vital area. The government forces likely don't want to go into a meat grinder for territory that's going to go back and forth anyway. Then groups like YPG/YPJ, JAN or Daesh move in, and are able to encircle the government or each other(though the government can and does this strategy too).

I think when this war end there will likely be a few extra countries(though it'd be awesome if democratic confederalism caught on instead). There's just no going back from this.

[SocialRepublican]

According to the Firat News agency the HPG celebrated the anniversary of the founding of the PKK yesterday by killing 21 Turkish soldiers and 4 cops. 4 armoured vehicles and a Cobra-type helicopter were also damaged during the operations.

The figures released by Firat, the Sabah, the HPG and the Turkish military all need to be taken with a pinch of salt. They all have a record of inflating and deflating numbers to suit their own propaganda purposes. E.g. the tractor laden with explosives suicide mission against that Turkish base the other week. Firat reported that at least 40 Turkish soldiers died, whilst the Turkish media reported that only 2 had died and 34 were injured. Generally, I interpret the number of deaths as being an indiscernible number in between the stats released by the opposing agencies.

[Sasha]

MUŞ - ANF
While the curfew continues in Varto district of Muş where the people have taken control since this morning, the district is witnessing an intense activity of Cobra type helicopters.
Amidst gunshots being heard from various locations in the district, the people remain stuck in houses due to the ongoing curfew declared by Muş Governorate in Varto at 08:30 this morning.
A local resident ANF reached via phone warned that a military intervention could have unfavorable consequences. The civilian by the name of Murat Güler stated that clashes in the district have been going on since yesterday, while no electricity was provided to the district all night long.
“There were trenches everywhere when we woke up in the morning. Clashes continue at some points at the moment. The entrance and exit of the city is also blocked with trenches. Both electricity and water has been cut off. A military intervention could have unfavorable consequences because the events are taking place amidst the local people themselves. We all are watching the happenings with concern. Smokes are rising in some places but we do not know why.”
Another local source told that Turkish soldiers sent from nearby provinces and districts have been deployed in the building of Rural Services located on Varto-Muş road, adding that gunshots were mainly heard from that area.
Besides the power and water cut, telephone network is also interrupted very often.

source: http://anfenglish.com/kurdistan/late...ation-in-varto

[Sasha]

more

An armed clash broke out in Silvan (Farqin) district of Amed as soldiers attempted to enter the Tekel neighborhood controlled by units of self-defense protecting the area.
Turkish soldiers have attacked the Tekel neighborhood, one of the four areas where people have started carrying out self-defense after digging trenches to hinder attacks and repression by police.
As youths responded to the attack of soldiers with arms and blast bombs, the people around also protested the attack by security forces.
Slogans "Biji berxwedana Farqinê" [Long Live Farqin Resistance], "PKK is people, and the people are here" resonate in the neighborhood.
Following an armed clash with the units of self-defense, soldiers retreated from where they were deployed at a point close to the neighborhood.

[Sasha]

from this morning

After the attack on District Police Headquarters and Gendarme Command yesterday evening, HPG guerillas took control of the entrances and exits of Varto.
Armed groups took control of all main and side streets in the district where trenches are widespread and police and soldiers cannot leave their bases. HPG dug trenches and took control of the roads that lead to Muş, Erzurum and Karlıova.
Muş Governorate declared a curfew in Varto at 08:30 this morning.

[Sasha]

8 turkish soldiers killed in a PKK bomb attack in turkish kurdistan.

2 men arrested after a failed hand grenade and machinegun attack on the police guarding the Dolmabah palace next to the office of the Turkish PM in Istanbul, this was probably a DHKC/P or maybe an Daesh attack

[Sasha]

serious turkish military operations, shelling and airplane bombings now not only on PKK positions in the iraqi mountains but also on kurdish villages on turkish territory near Siirt and even north of Diyarbakir, this is nowhere near the syrian or iraqi border, if northern kurdistan is turkish soil and those that live there are turks as the turkish regime likes to claim the full power of the turkish military is being unleashed on their own citizens.
more and more area's are declaring autonomy, more and more local DBP and HDP elected officials are being rounded up and arrested. Seems the civil war is back full-on in Turkey.

[Sasha]

URGENT: State Terror in Kurdistan: The Turkish State Recommences Burning of Kurdish Villages

• 18 August 2015

The villages of Kocakoy in the district of Lice-Hani, in Amed (Diyarbakir) and other surrounding villages are under heavy shelling by the Turkish army. Many of these villages are currently burning, with many injured, and an unknown number killed. After heavy shelling of civilian locations, the Turkish soldiers entered the village of Kocakoy. They then proceeded to target homes by shooting and burning houses with families still inside.

Local sources have reported that many people in these houses are killed and seriously injured. The Turkish army then proceeded to violently force an evacuation of these villages.
Yesterday, a similar disturbing situation occurred in Şapatan (Altınsu) village in Hakkari’s Şemdinli district. In this village, over 10 houses were demolished and ruined. Smoke is still rising from the homes and the forest areas around as well as several other villages.
The Turkish regime engaged in a similar campaign in the 1990s. During this period, the regime burned 4,000 Kurdish villages and displaced 3,000, 000 people. The regime is repeating the same policy and practice again.
In the previous press release presented earlier today, we informed that the Turkish military forces have attacked the districts of Varto, Semdinli, Farqin, Yuksekova, Nusaybin and Lice, targeting civilians, bombing businesses and houses deliberately and explicitly. Several people are already killed in these attacks.
HDP representatives and deputies have reported that they are witnessing the same strategy as when ISIS attacked Kobane and engaged in a deliberate policy of destruction of the city. Turkey is now adopting the same policy as ISIS in many Kurdish districts and villages in Kurdish parts of Turkey.
The use of military power against civilians is a war crime. The direct bombing, shelling and burning of homes, villages, businesses, streets, farms and the surrounding environment is a terror tactic used by the Turkish regime against innocent civilians.
We call again on all the international community, NGOs, Press and human rights organisations to condemn the dirty war that the Turkish state is engaging in towards the Kurds. The crimes being committed against the Kurds are human rights violations that the Turkish regime needs to be held responsible for by the relevant international bodies and organisations.
KNK Kurdistan National Congress

source; http://www.kurdishinfo.com/urgent-st...rdish-villages

[John Nada]

Armed struggle in Turkey/Kurdistan 22/8/2015

Armed struggle in Turkey/Kurdistan 22/8/2015
Police forces launched operations against three neighbourhoods in Yüksekova district of Hakkari this morning to close the trenches dug by the local people. Following the clashes between self-defense units and the police forces, the police were repelled from the neighbourhoods. Police special operations teams attacked, opened indiscriminate fire in Sur district of Amed, one was person killed. The KCK issued a press statement noting:


“Should these attacks not be responded with resistance, all democracy forces in Turkey, the Freedom Struggle of the Kurdish people in the first place, will be suppressed, and no obstacle will be left before the AKP’s intention of establishing an authoritarian order. In this regard, our resistance continues as a democracy struggle against this intention of the AKP, just like the struggle our movement waged against the 12 September fascism in 1980′s. There exists no power but this resistance that can stop the AKP now. From this aspect, the peoples of Turkey should also take action, just like was the case in Gezi process, and upset the plans of the AKP together with the Kurdish people.”<br /><br />

A HPG press release yesterday itemized the following actions:


“VAN


Guerrillas conducted a sabotage action against a convoy of police and special operation teams on the road between Van and its Başkale district on August 19, which left 10 police wounded, including two heavily. Following the removal of the casualties from the scene, Turkish troops backed by village guards started an operation in the area with the support of reconnaissance flights by helicopters.


Five units affiliated to the Turkish army launched another operation in Sersilo, Asıngra and Dırejkê villages of Başkale at 04:00 on August 18, but retreated from the area at 16:00 the same day. Another operation was started in Çiyaniş and Exalê villages of Başkale on August 20 afternoon, and was unconclusively retreated at 17:00. An action by guerrillas targeted a group of special operation teams in Yeni neighborhood of Van at 20:00 on August 15. Four members of special operation teams were killed.


ŞIRNAK


Guerrillas hit three Sikorsky and Cobra type helicopters after they took off from the Kato Jirka area in Şırnak’s Beytüşşebap district at 07:30 on August 21. One of the helicopters was severely damaged and forced to retreat from the area. Guerrillas burnt down and destroyed a total of 25 vehicles belonging to a private company, including 10 lorries involved in tunnel construction on Şırnak-Cizre road at 12:00 on August 20. In another action targeting a police checkpoint on Şırnak-Uludere road on August 20, guerrillas failed to detonate an explosive-laden vehicle parked near the checkpoint. In a following action with arms, guerrillas targeted an armored vehicle on its way to the scene for an intervention after the action.


While the casualties couldn’t be clarified, helicopters shelled the scene and Turkish troops launched an operation in the area. Three police were wounded as a result of an action by guerrillas who targeted a police guard box in Silopi town center on August 18.


AMED


In another action, guerrillas targeted the hydroelectric power plant in Pasur (Kulp) district of Amed at 16:00 on August 20. While the action caused material damaged, number of casualties couldn’t be verified. Following a bombardment in the triangle area of Amed, Farqin (Silvan) ve Karas (Kocaköy), Turkish army airdropped troops on Hill Zerge with 30 Sikorsky helicopters. The operation was later retreated inconclusively. HPG refuted Turkish army’s reports that 14 guerrillas lost their lives here, saying that guerrillas suffered no losses of life in this area.


SİİRT


Soldiers and village guards have laid ambushed around the İskanbu village in Şirvan district of Siirt.


IĞDIR


Guerrillas conducted a large-scale action against the Horgov guard post in Iğdır at 15:30 on August 20. An explosive-laden truck was detonated at a distance of 500 meters to the guard post after was noticed by the soldiers here. After blocking the road between Iğdır and Bazid district of Kars, guerrillas destroyed two trucks of the state and informed the people about the current process. The road leading to Korxan guard post in Iğdır remains under the control of guerrillas since August 14. As the road remains blocked by guerrillas, supplies to the guard post were delivered by helicopters at 22:30 on August 20.


DERSİM


Dersim-Erzincan and Dersim-Ovacık roads also remain under the control of guerrillas since August 17.


HAKKARİ Two Cobra helicopters of the Turkish army shelled the Tılora area in Hakkari’s Yüksekova district at 12:00 on August 20, after which soldiers were airdropped into the area and launched an operation. Soldiers participating the operation opened random fire around and wounded three civilians. The operation was retreated inconclusively at 17:30 the same day.


ŞEMZİNAN


Following a clash between soldiers and guerrillas, Turkish troops fired random bullets on a house of civilians in Nêrduşa village of Hakkari’s Şemzinan (Şemdinli) district on August 19. Guerrillas hit the Grana and Rubarok guard posts at the border to Avashin area of Medya Defense Zones at 09:00 and 12:00 on August 20. A vehicle in Rubarok guard post was damaged in the action after which troops in both posts bombed surrounding areas with howitzer and mortar fire.


HEFTANİN


Turkish troops have been deployed on three hills between Martyr Kendal and Kêlik areas at the border to Heftanin area of Medya Defense Zones on August 20 afternoon. Interrupted clashes are taking place between guerrillas and soldiers that have taken up positions here.”


Dozens of people were detained in house raids across the country yesterday.


The Basque nationalist organization Komite Internazionalistak has issued a statement in support of the national democratic struggle of the Kurdish people. It notes:
“Turkey, a NATO member, and located geographically in the heart of the Middle East, has been during these years, the patrons of the Islamic State, an instrument of Imperialism in the region, subjecting the people that live here to the most appalling and abominable actions of war, highlighting the rape, abduction and sale of women, and grabbing territories with the consequent slavery of people. But the people have not lost the time, and they built self-managed spaces on the basis of self-organisation and self-defense in communities in different neighborhoods in Hakkari, Silvan, Van, Ağrı, Muş etc, and shouted out ‘Edi Bese’ [Enough Already].”


Solders killed an elderly civilian on the Rojava border yesterday. The HPG Press Office issued a statement on the 20th itemizing the following actions in the previous days


“Guerrillas carried out a sabotage action in memory of the recently martyred YJA Star guerrilla Ekin Van on the road between Şirvan and Pervari districts of Siirt at 14:10 on August 19. Guerrillas destroyed a large military vehicle, which left 12 soldiers dead and three others heavily wounded. While Cobra helicopters shelled the scene after the action, troops launched an operation in Şirvan and Deleman areas with the participation of village guards. In an attempt for another action in memory of Ekin Van, YJA Star guerrillas were engaged in clashes with Turkish soldiers on Arıcak-Elazığ road at 05:00 on August 17. One specialist sergeant was killed and one village guard was wounded in the short-lasting clash.


Guerrillas conducted another action targeting the Verkalıt guard post in Baykan district of Siirt at 07:20 on August 20. One soldier was killed in an assassination action, and one other died after guerrillas destroyed an emplacement of heavy weapons in the post. Guerrillas destroyed a base station located between the villages of Sevanê and Hawrê in Batman’s Kozluk district at 00:45 on August 20. In another action against Simer guard post in Kozluk at 16:15 on August 19, guerrillas killed a soldier in an assassination attack and destroyed an emplacement here. The number of soldiers’ casualties couldn’t be clarified. Guerrillas infiltrated into a unit of Turkish soldiers preparing for an operation near Amed’s Hani district at 13:00 on August 19. One soldier was killed here. Turkish troops conducted an operation in Nêrduşa area between Yüksekova and Şemdinli districts of Hakkari at 15:00 on August 19.


Guerrillas responded to the troops as they opened random fire on the area with heavy weapons. As part of the Martyr Reşit Serdar Initiative, guerrillas conducted a sabotage action against two armored vehicles patrolling in Yeşildere neighborhood of Hakkari’s Yüksekova district at 01:30 on August 19. One of the armored vehicles was completely destroyed but the number of casualties couldn’t be made clear. Three ambulances came to the scene after the action and transported the casualties. In another action as part of the Martyr Reşit Serdar Initiative, guerrillas targeted the Eriş and Bilican guard posts at the border to Zap region of Medya Defense Zones between 07.30–09.30 on August 19. One emplacement in Bilican guard post was completely destroyed in the action which was conducted with mortars. Troops at both posts shelled the surrounding areas after the action. Guerrillas also targeted the Rubarok guard posts at the border to Avashin area and damaged the vehicles outside the main entrance gate at 12:00 on August 20.


A base station of two private GSM operators in Türkmen village of Ağrı’s Bazid (Doğubayazıt) district was completely destroyed by guerrillas at 19:45 on August 19. A short clash erupted between a group of guerrillas and a special operation team laying ambushes aroundn Şehidan hill in Ağrı’s Tendürek area between 18:00 and 19:00 on August 19. One soldier was killed in an assassination action by guerrillas who targeted the Dızê guard post in Hakkari at 21:45 on August 19. A base station of three private GSM operators was destroyed by guerrillas in Bêkendê village of Siirt’s Kurtalan district at 23:00 on August 19. Dersim-Erzincan and Dersim-Ovacık roads remain under the control of guerrillas since August 17. Besides ID checks, guerrillas are also informing the people about the process.”


Hizan Democratic People’s Assembly Co-chair Kader Sönmez was arrested during house raids on the 20th.The co-mayors of Hakkari Municipality Dilek Hatipoğlu and Nurullah Çiftçi were detained on the same day. HDP and DBP activists launched human shield actions in the Feraşin Highland area yesterday. The Turkish state rejected an application by fifteen bar associations for a meeting with Öcalan filed on the 13th. Police attacked a protest demo in Adana on the evening of the 19th.


DBP Batman branch executive Afif Filiz was detained in a house raid on the morning of the 20th. At least 16 people were detained in Alanya house raids on the morning of the 20th targeting people involved in defending the HDP offices in street clashes with fascists on the 19th. Mass demonstration for Kevser Eltürk in Şırnak with banner “Ekin Wan’s naked body is our honor” on the 20th.Two people killed by police in Mardin and Şırnak on the evening of the 19th. The apartment of journalist Gülşen İşeri was raided in Istanbul this morning. 15 residential addresses raided in Sarıyer district of Istanbul. 39 people detained in Mersin. Police attacked a KJA demo in Elazığ yesterday arresting at least ten people.

Source: http://www.signalfire.org/2015/08/22...istan-2282015/

[Sasha]

seems Daesh took up the Turkish gauntlet, they conquered 5 Syrian villages in the proposed "buffer zone" that where held by the Turkmen militia's after being seceded by Al-Nusra.

[Sasha]

HPG (People's Defense Forces) Press Office has released the balance sheet of war in Kurdistan for the last one month.
HPG remarked that Erdoğan and the AKP government started a war against the Kurdistan people revolutionary democratic forces after suspending the negotiation process in the face of the success achieved by the people of North Kurdistan in June 7 election.
HPG said this war concept, which had already begun with the aggravated isolation on Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan, reached a further dimension with the comprehensive attacks launched against the Kurdish movement as of July 24.
The statement pointed out that the airstrikes and operations against guerrilla forces in Medya Defense Zones have been conducted as part of the most intense annihilation war of recent years.
Recalling that the Turkish airstrikes have also targeted many civilian settlements, as a result of which eight local people were killed in Qandil's Zergelê village, HPG said Turkish security forces on the other hand attacked and murdered youths resisting to the attacks in Silvan, Varto, Silopi and Cizre in Northern Kurdistan.
HPG stated that guerrillas responded with effective actions to these massacres and attacks which targeted the democratic will of Kurdistan and Turkey peoples in Northern Kurdistan and the annihilation strikes against guerrilla areas in South Kurdistan.
HPG listed the following figures of the balance sheet of the war since July 24;
Reconnaissance flights by unmanned aerial vehicles: 44
Operations by Turkish army and clashes: 62
Strikes by Cobra type helicopters: 25
Tank, mortar and howitzer attacks: 217
Airstrikes by jets: 87, 15 of which were conducted in Northern Kurdistan and 72 in Medya Defense Zones
Actions by guerrilla forces: 191
Soldiers killed in actions and clashes: 394
Soldiers wounded in actions and clashes: 142
Police officers killed: 16
Police officers wounded: 36
Special operation members killed: 61
Special operation members wounded: 33
Vehicles damaged: 63, including 10 helicopters and 3 tanks
Vehicles destroyed: 50, including 2 tanks
Vehicles burnt down: 74
Road closure actions: 50
HPG said guerrillas also seized a large quantity of ammunition belonging to Turkish forces.
While the results of 54 actions conducted by guerrillas couldn't be verified, the actions of self-sacrifice in Van, Adana, Ağrı-Bazid and Istanbul are not included in the figures announced in the balance sheet.
HPG said 42 guerrillas lost their lives during the past one month, among whom 18 were martyred in operations and clashes, 16 in airstrikes and 8 in actions of self-sacrifice.
The statement reported that 32 civilians lost their lives in the attacks of the Turkish army in Northern Kurdistan and Zergelê massacre in South Kurdistan since July 24.

http://anfenglish.com/kurdistan/hpg-...-for-one-month

[Sasha]

wikipedia map which shows which area's in turkey/north kurdistan are under insurgent control; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Templa...y_Detailed_Map

[SocialRepublican]

Two big attacks from the PKK in the last couple of days. Sixteen Turkish soldiers killed on an attack in daglica, two policemen had been killed earlier in the day.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/16-...&NewsCatID=341
Then earlier today 12 policemen killed.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/at-...&NewsCatID=341
If the Turkish state is releasing these figures must be kicking off. Meanwhile, human rights groups, NGOs and Kurdish media are reporting widescale human rights abuses against kurdish civillians and growing number of murders committed by occupying Turkish forces

[khad]

In response to the recent attack that killed 16 Turkish troops, PM Davutoglu has vowed to clear out the PKK, no matter the cost

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34181528

Speaking at a news conference on Monday, Mr Davutoglu said: "You cannot discourage us from our war on terror. Those mountains will be cleared of these terrorists. Whatever it takes, they will be cleared."

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan earlier said he was saddened by the attack and promised a "decisive" response.
"The pain of our security forces who were martyred in the treacherous attack by the separatist terrorist organisation sears our hearts," he said.

[Sasha]

mob attacks on kurdish neighborhoods and HDP offices; http://www.kurdishinfo.com/racist-at...turkish-cities

[hexaune]

Turkey's government have now authorised the use of live ammunition to quell protests, so they are now sending out snipers! They've already hit civilians:

http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...down-militants

[hexaune]

A few questions for those that are in tune with what is going on in Turkey at the moment:

I take it the AKP are hoping this unrest will hurt the HDP in the new elections that have been called. Is this working or are HDP likely to get above the 10% threshold again? If HDP do manage to get >10% thus leading to a repeat of AKP not having an overall majority, how do you think they will play it out, seeing as they seem unable to form a working coalition?

[Sasha]

I think it will be very likely that the AKP will use the current unrest as a pretex to try and ban the HDP/DPD just before the elections. If they don't do it all polls point at that the ellection results will be more or less the exact same...