NOURNEWS- Turkey's recent moves in the Iraqi Kurdistan region, from repeated violations of airspace in northern Iraq to the bombing of some areas, along with sporadic clashes in the strategic town of Zinni Verti between the two ruling regional parties and the long queues in the Qandil Mountains. The PKK has become a source of concern for Kurdish leaders, who warn of the possibility of an internal Kurdish conflict.
The London-based Al-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper wrote in a note on the same subject by Ibrahim Hamidi that Kurdish officials in Syria are concerned about tensions between the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Iraqi Kurdistan and the possibility of a new front against the Kurdistan Workers' Party. The PKK is concerned about Turkey.
Tensions between Kurdistan's two ruling parties in Qandil
"Tensions between the two ruling parties in the Iraqi Kurdistan region have escalated after forces from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) advanced on the strategic town of Zini Verti, a gateway to the Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq. "Kurdish officials in Syria believe that this will intensify the siege of the Kurdish autonomous regions in northeastern Syria and warn of a Kurdish-Kurdish conflict."
The story of the presence of the ruling parties in the strategic town of Zini Verti
"The town of Zinni Verti is of strategic value because it separates the areas of influence between Iran and the Kurdistan Workers' Party and the Patriotic Union Party and the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party. Since the late 1990s, the region has been under the control of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) under an agreement between the two ruling parties in the Kurdistan Region. But Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) forces have been deployed in some areas of the town since a month ago in a bid to prevent the spread of the coronavirus and control the border with Iran. »
"The purpose of this deployment is to control the climate border due to the outbreak of corona and the efforts of some people to smuggle in these borders, contrary to preventive measures and health principles," said Masroor Barzani, Kurdistan Region's prime minister.
"But Nichravan Barzani, the head of the Kurdistan Region, implicitly pointed out another reason for this action, which is to counter the influence of the Kurdistan Workers 'Party, and said that Iraqi Kurdistan should not be the source of the Kurdistan Workers' Party's attacks on Turkey or any other neighboring country. We reiterate that the northern region of Iraq is not a battlefield for the Kurdistan Workers' Party and should not be used to attack Turkey. That fact must be taken into account. "
"The Workers' Party does not respect the sovereignty of Iraq and the region, so the Turkish bombardment of the region was predictable," he said, referring to the Turkish army's attack on the Zinni Verti region in northern Erbil. "If the party wants to help the Iraqi Kurdistan region, it would be better to leave the region because its presence in northern Iraq is problematic."
The possibility of party participation in Turkey's battle against PKK
"On the other hand, Mustafa Qarasu, a leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, said that Turkey may try to involve the Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in its plan to occupy Qandil. Because without the cooperation of this party, it cannot do so. However, officials in the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) have denied the allegations, saying they are focused on taking precautionary measures to deal with Corona and maintain common borders with Iran.
"Meanwhile, the Zinni Verti region has recently witnessed the presence of many forces, including the Peshmerga forces, under the command of the Kurdistan Democratic Party. "A large number of elite units are present in the area, many strongholds have been set up and thousands of troops are stationed there, and the military equipment of the Patriotic Union Party has been provided to these new forces under pressure from the Democratic Party."
"According to the report, for the first time in decades, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) forces have descended from the Kandil Mountains and are stationed at the gates of these mountains, which are considered to be a kind of historical fortress. In addition, the Turkish military has increased the number of fighters and drones flying over northern Iraq. "The bombing of the Makhmur camp in the middle of this month was in response to the deployment of the Kurdistan Workers' Party."
"Kurdish leaders say the Turkish military has strengthened its presence in northwestern Iraq. "Meanwhile, there are reports of eleven Turkish military bases in the region, in order to escalate the conflict with the Kurdistan Workers' Party, which Ankara considers a terrorist organization."
"According to these leaders, Turkey's move is aimed at supporting the Kurdistan Region and maintaining that Ankara sees it as a vital transit point for its difficult relations with Tehran, its complex relations with Baghdad and its strained relations with the so-called Kurdish Autonomous Region. It sees the northeast of Syria, it is happening. The main role in this institution is played by the Democratic Union Party (Syria) (close to the PKK) and the People's Defense Units, both of which have good relations with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in Sulaimaniyah, Erbil's rival.
The fruitless meeting of the two parties, the Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union
"In the wake of this tense and tense situation, the two parties, the Patriotic Union and the Democratic Party of Kurdistan (KDP), held a meeting last night to find a solution to the problem created in Zini Verti. According to one leader, the Patriotic Union Party (PUK) called for a return to the former settlement lines under the 1998 agreement and a greater role in the climate government, and said it was ready to agree to the presence of customs forces to protect Iran's borders and prevent the Corona. . "On the other hand, the Peshmerga Ministry in the Kurdistan Regional Government continues to insist on its positions, declaring that the forces stationed in Zinni Verti are official forces and are not affiliated with any party."
The possibility of simultaneous operations by Ankara and the Democratic Party against the PKK
"While Kurdish leaders in northeastern Syria are watching the rivalry between tanks and rifles in Zinni Verti and the talks between the two ruling parties in the Kurdistan Region, one of the Kurdish leaders said in al-Qamishli:" We are concerned about the simultaneous operation of the Turkish army and We are the forces of the Kurdistan Democratic Party in the depths of Zini Verti and the Kandil Mountains. "It is possible that Ankara wants to open a new front and, with the participation of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, will deal a severe blow to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in the face of the weakening of the Patriotic Union Party, which has recently strained relations with Ankara."
"In the face of another of these officials, he blames these possibilities and predicts that everything will be under control."
Damage to the Kurds if joint operations are launched against Qandil
"A military operation like this will do a lot of damage to the Kurds because it will start a Kurdish-Kurdish war and portray them as groups involved in the war against ISIS in recent years," said one Kurdish leader. Clearly, these Kurdish groups were on display for everyone. "On the other hand, it will achieve many military achievements for Turkey and further advance it after its operations in northwestern and northeastern Syria."
"Undoubtedly, this will contribute to the siege of the autonomous region east of the Euphrates and the impact of the crossing between Duhok, Fishkhabur and other crossings between Kurdistan and northeastern Syria," he added. At the same time, we know that the US-led international coalition continues to support the Kurdish-Arab forces known as the "Democratic Syria" (QASD), which controls these areas.
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