CPTnet
2 November 2015
IRAQI KURDISTAN: Zergaly villagers who
survived Turkish bombing speak out
In the early morning hours of 1 August 2015 Turkish
warplanes fired rockets into Zergaly village, destroying houses, killing an
elderly woman, and injuring her husband and three relatives.
After people from the surrounding area and other villages came to help the
wounded, the warplanes returned—dropping bombs and firing more rockets on to
the rescuers—killing seven and injuring eight more.
Throughout the 1990s, and between 2007 and 2012, Turkish
warplanes and military forces regularly bombarded the mountain regions
of Iraqi Kurdistan. Aided by the USA, the Turkish so-called “war on
terror” against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), gravely impacted
the lives of thousands of subsistence farmers and shepherds, and their
communities.
The airstrikes and artillery bombardments killed and wounded many Kurdish civilians,
destroyed and emptied villages, and burned or poisoned much agricultural land
and livestock.
The peace process between the PKK and the Turkish government, which began on 21
March 2013, raised long awaited hopes among the Kurdish people,
despite being overshadowed by doubts rooted in their historic experience.
Recently, hopes for peace were shattered when the Turkish government—under the
pretext of joining the war against Da’esh (ISIS)—restarted attacks on the
border regions of Iraqi Kurdistan in July of 2015. Turkey again
targeted the PKK—the main force fighting against Da’esh in the region, as well
as the civilians.
Christian Peacemaker Teams Iraqi-Kurdistan filmed the
testimony of the survivors and family members of the Zergaly bombing. Turkey continues to bomb the villages of
Iraqi Kurdistan.
The world may ignore the stories of these villagers, but Christian Peacemaker Teams-Iraqi Kurdistan will keep telling them. Please share this video
widely! And please consider participating in the work of the team! https://bit.ly/1Ok7SEr
