While Turkey’s incursions into Iraqi Kurdistan, alongside attacks in Rojava (north and east Syria), seem to have intensified in the past fortnight, a prominent politician and Duhok University lecturer, Dr. Kamuran Berwarî – also the vice-head of the Academy of Politics and Democratic Thought in Iraqi Kurdistan – indicated that the Turkish state was in the process of playing its last card against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). In the process, he indicated and the whole of Iraqi Kurdistan, including Sinjar (Shengal), as well as Rojava, were under the threat of ‘occupation.’

Speaking to Hawar News Agency (ANHA), Dr. Berwarî stated that Turkey was preparing for a great assault while it continued to exploit tensions between the PKK and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).

“They’re playing a dirty game, trying to start a war between the PKK and KDP,” he said. “We’ve got to prevent this and foil the enemy’s plan. Attacks by KDP forces against guerrillas are part of a plan implemented with the participation of international forces. They’ve tried everything to destroy the Kurdish people. This is the last card of the Turkish state. They’re intending to occupy the whole of Iraqi Kurdistan, Shengal and Rojava, so that they’ll be able to wipe out everything that the Kurdish people achieved.”

Observing that Turkish forces failed in their objectives during the military operations targeting Zap, Metina, Heftanin and Garê regions, Berwarî indicated that this was the reason they had turned to the assistance and support of local forces.

“The Turkish state razed many villages in the Berwarî region. They still don’t let anyone in. Even the Iraqi Kurdistan press wasn’t allowed there,” he said.

“They see every piece of occupied land as their own. If they go on like this, there’ll be no Kurd or Kurdistan left in these regions, and the next step will be the destruction of the Iraqi Kurdistan administration. We have to analyze Turkey’s strategic plans well. We must not let ourselves be victims for the interests of the Turkish state. We must stop collaborating with it. They must be forced to leave by means of international law and the United Nations. We can’t accept them using the airspace of Iraqi Kurdistan so comfortably. We don’t want the Turkish state to set up military bases in Iraqi Kurdistan.”