Since then, Turkey has increased its military footprint in a region of Iraqi Kurdistan known as Sergele. In that time, it has built at least seven military bases in the country. The closest credentials bases are 10 miles from the Turkish border. Because they are huge and heavy, they sit strategically on the steep slopes, which renders huge tracts of land inaccessible to local farmers. Turkey’s military expansion serves as a showcase of its growing capabilities as a drone power. Retreat or greater Middle Eastern interventionism? The pullout underscores a profound, if perhaps contradictory, change in U.S. foreign policy.
According to the Turkish government, these military facilities are necessary to combat the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). This U.S. organization is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and most Western countries. With such a tenuous rationale for their military presence, local Kurdish authorities and the Turkish government share a fractious history that makes understanding each side’s agenda crucially important. Kurdish leaders have consistently understated the civilian toll of Turkey’s military campaign.
In recent years, Turkey’s military footprint in Iraqi Kurdistan has increased dramatically. Since 2018, 89% of its military bases in the region have been built, resulting in overwhelming territorial dominance. Turkey has acquired de facto control of over 2,000 square kilometers of Iraqi territory, according to reports. This is due, in large part, to its sprawling network of military bases across the Pacific. The expansion has pushed Iraqi border guards back in some sectors. This has resulted in the imposition of a harsh “Forbidden Zone,” extending virtually the entire length of the Iraqi border with Turkey and up to 40 kilometers deep in some areas.
Local communities have repeatedly borne the brunt of Turkey’s severe military assaults. Scores of villagers have testified to no longer having access to their land and livelihoods since the military built bases in the region. Sherwan Sherwan Sergeli, a local resident, expressed his frustration, stating, “The more bases they put up, the worse it gets for us.” Critics, meanwhile, have foreseen dire repercussions. Salam Saeed warned, “They will kill you if you remain,” [17] [18] underscoring the extreme risks that residents face across the area.
The Turkish military’s incursions have not been without some pushback. Eyewitness accounts describe widespread shelling aimed at civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, schools, and homes throughout Iraqi Kurdistan, increasing tensions between local residents and Turkish military forces. Sadly, a brave 24-year-old man, Alan Ismail, died while battling stage-four cancer. His death was shrouded in controversy. The Turkish military has rebuffed any culpability for his death, leaving the local community worried that they’d again receive no accountability for civilian casualties.
Ismail Chichu, a villager affected by the ongoing conflict, lamented the devastating impact of Turkey’s military actions on families in the area: “It has destroyed us. It’s like killing the whole family.” His sentiments underscore the deep grief and hopelessness felt by so many in Sergele. Their fundamental rights, so readily accessible to so many, are depriving them.
Aside from these pressures, Kurdish authorities still enjoy a robust relationship with Ankara rooted in shared interests. Yet this alliance leads more often than not to intense political wrangling that puts a premium on geopolitical stability rather than addressing local grievances. Hoshyar Zebari, a prominent Kurdish politician, remarked on the situation: “They [the Turkish armed forces] are not harming our people,” which underscores the complex nature of local governance amidst foreign military presence.
Meanwhile, Turkey is deepening and widening its military footprint into Iraqi Kurdistan. In the process, many long-term residents are facing feelings of displacement and insecurity in their homes. Kamaran Othman, a local official, highlighted an alarming trend regarding death certificates issued in the region: “In most of the death certificates, they only wrote ‘infijar,’ which means explosion.” This statement highlights the deeply disturbing reality that civilian lives are merely a numbers game with impunity as the military continues its operations.
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