The Turkish army has used chemical weapons outlawed under international war law dozens of times in its military offensive in the Medya Defense Zones in southern Kurdistan, which has been ongoing since April 23, according to reports and footage from the ground. Pictures from the own rows of the Turkish army confirm the suspicion of such war crimes. Ulla Jelpke, spokeswoman for domestic policy of the parliamentary group of the Left Party, DIE LINKE, addressed a written question to the German government. The federal government replied that it had "no findings beyond the media reports." Jelpke criticizes the German government for applying double standards when it comes to reports on war crimes: "In the case of alleged poison gas operations in Syria, the German government was quick to accuse the Syrian government without any verified findings. But when its own NATO partner is suspected of using such banned warfare agents, it hides behind having no 'intelligence of its own beyond media reports.'"

Jelpke said: "Instead of covering Turkey's attacks on the Kurdistan region in blind loyalty to the alliance, the German government should do everything in its power to investigate these accusations."

The Federal Government further indicated in the answer, that the situation in the north Iraq is 'regularly subject of discussions of the Federal Government with all involved actors, so also with representatives of the Turkish government'. However, Jelpke accuses the federal government of lying: "The Kurdish guerrillas, against whom the Turkish offensive is officially directed, certainly belong to the actors involved in this war. However, a spokesman for the umbrella organization Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), to which the PKK and its guerrillas belong, made it clear to my office that there had been no recent contacts of any kind between the German government and the KCK or the guerrillas. Instead of spreading lies, the German government should actually seek talks with all the actors involved, including the PKK. Only a dialogue with all forces on the ground can contribute to the de-escalation of the situation in Kurdistan, which was further aggravated by the bombing of the UN refugee camp Maxmur in northern Iraq by the Turkish air force over the weekend. But unfortunately, the German government is also silent on this war crime committed by its NATO partner.”