In a rare event, angry crowd stormed a Turkish military camp in Iraq’s Kurdish region near the city of Dohuk. I herewith include few tweets that explain the background of this incident
.
Hundreds of people in the Kurdistan Region’s #Shiladze region on Saturday protested Turkey’s ongoing bombardment of their villages after a recent Turkish bombing left at least four civilians dead. #TwitterKurds #Amedihttps://t.co/2ihA8FXW5y
— Kurdistan 24 English (@K24English) January 26, 2019
This is how the Turkish base was stormed by local Kurds today in N.Iraq's (KRG) #Dohuk.
This never happened before as we know there are about a dozen Turkish bases stationed in the region. Anger is visible. pic.twitter.com/xveb63RiLd— ilhan tanir (@WashingtonPoint) January 26, 2019
Scenes here in #Duhok where unarmed civilians are face-to-face with Turkish troops having stormed their base in protest against frequent airstrikes (which goes almost completely unreported) and their deadly consequences. pic.twitter.com/HDfjLINsyI
— Jake Hanrahan (@Jake_Hanrahan) January 26, 2019
The protesters have taken over some of the military trucks and tanks in the Turkish military base in Shiladze, in the northeast of #Kurdistan's Duhok province. pic.twitter.com/5jzpkGTjzb
— Abdulla Hawez (@abdullahawez) January 26, 2019
Apparently, protesters have attacked the Turkish military base in Shiladze and an MIT base in a nearby village called Sirine.
— Abdulla Hawez (@abdullahawez) January 26, 2019
Some background:
Turkey has 14 military bases and four MIT offices in #Kurdistan's Duhok province (plus six bases in Erbil province)
The one attack is number 1 in this map below:#Kurdistan pic.twitter.com/m69kcVt7AE
— Abdulla Hawez (@abdullahawez) January 26, 2019
Turkish officers in the area, backed by local KDP authorities, have been trying to build relations with the locals – such as the one below:https://t.co/XDum64o0vp
— Abdulla Hawez (@abdullahawez) January 26, 2019
Turkish fire jets are flying low over Shiladze and drop sound bombs to disperse protesters, who stormed a Turkish military base hour ago to protest the death of at least two local civilians a couple days ago. pic.twitter.com/1oJyzzNT3M
— Abdulla Hawez (@abdullahawez) January 26, 2019
Few things about #Shiladze:
– It is one of a few towns in Duhok province where KDP ISN'T popular (despite everything)
– Actually, in 2013 regional elections, pro-Muslim Brotherhood KIU party won elections in the town
– Shiladze was site of major anti-austerity protests last year pic.twitter.com/IbgV8fg4Ip— Abdulla Hawez (@abdullahawez) January 26, 2019
NRT team was attacked and then arrested by KDP security in Duhok while covering the events of Shiladze where a Turkish military base was stormed by protesters to prevent NRT's ongoing coverage of the events: pic.twitter.com/fenU3rvjp2
— Abdulla Hawez (@abdullahawez) January 26, 2019
Footage shows Turkish soldiers/MIT officers trying to prevent protesters storming the base in Shiladze but reportedly retreated later and left the buildings: pic.twitter.com/sjcUOxyXTj
— Abdulla Hawez (@abdullahawez) January 26, 2019
NRT: at least four of our reporters and cameramen have been arrested by KDP security in Duhok and Shiladze to prevent further NRT coverage of the protests in #Shiladze.https://t.co/upXwLP7Uph#Kurdistan #Kurdistan
— Abdulla Hawez (@abdullahawez) January 26, 2019
Erdogan regarding the protests in #Shiladze: 'they've tried to make a big mistake in Northern Iraq today but our fighter jets have flown over the area and dispersed them'.https://t.co/qPxFkXNQTb
— Abdulla Hawez (@abdullahawez) January 26, 2019
KRG statement re the events in #Shiladze accuses a 'trouble-making hand' of being behind the protests and vows a 'thorough investigation' to punish those responsible.
— Abdulla Hawez (@abdullahawez) January 26, 2019
12 hours later, Rudaw now says the protests in Shiladze were actually equally against both the Turkish military and the PKK: pic.twitter.com/bBOc1t1ZtM
— Abdulla Hawez (@abdullahawez) January 26, 2019
NRT says their 6 journalists who were detained by KDP security have now been freed as protests died down: https://t.co/6bODqQD5B3
And earlier, KRG ministry of culture has apparently condemned the detention of the NRT journalists in Duhok & Shiladze:https://t.co/uzyWczi2On
— Abdulla Hawez (@abdullahawez) January 26, 2019
Video shows #Kurdish security force member hugs a father of the guy has been killed by #Turkish Army during today’s protests in #Shiladze near #Duhok In #KRI. pic.twitter.com/tpK7BcQ9h6
— Blesa Shaways (@Bilesa_Shaweys) January 26, 2019
Turkish airstrikes killing innocent people in my home town, Duhok in #Kurdistan
Turkish aggression has now trigged mass protests / uprising in #Duhok where lives are not simply numbers & statistics.
Turkish act of agression must be condemned by @AlistairBurtUK #solidarity ✌️ https://t.co/tHgodKI4JE— Laween Atroshi (@laweenatroshi) January 26, 2019
Another video showing Turkish jets bombing Shiladeza in Duhok province. Angry Kurdish protesters attacked a Turkish base in Shiladeza in response to killing of four civilians by Turkish jets on Jan23. Turkey has had several bases in Duhok since late 1990s allegedly to fight PKK pic.twitter.com/spVbAfb2Gd
— Fazel Hawramy (@FazelHawramy) January 26, 2019
This is in response to the murder of four more Kurdish civilians who were killed two days again by Turkish airstrikes. It’s important to note thtst Turkey has bombed schools, hospitals, bridges etc in Iraqi Kurdistan.
— Yerevan Saeed (@YerevanSaeed) January 26, 2019
So expected. #Turkish defense ministry blames the #Shiladze #Kurdistan protest on #PKK, not on its random bombing of villages & killings of innocent #Kurdish civilians.These angry protesters are not #PKK look at this way; they just buried their dead sons & want to tell you enough
— Hoshang Waziri هوشنك وزيري (@HoWaziri) January 26, 2019
Peshmerga says Turkish military operations in Iraqi Kurdish Region between 2015 & 2018 have killed 20 innocent civilians, destroyed much infrastructure & caused civilian displacements. https://t.co/LiqEpfXS5z
— David M. Witty (@DavidMWitty1) January 27, 2019
Aftermath of Duhok protests
-Turkey against all Kurds.
-Erdogan doesn’t say Kurdistan but “our jets on the other side in Iraq.”
-Erdogan has KDP/Barzani family in his pocket.
-KDP doesn’t care for Kurdish civilians.
-KDP afraid of PKK, needs Turkey.
-KDP against #Kurdistan.— Diliman Abdulkader (@D_abdulkader) January 26, 2019
Iraq FM warns Turkey to stop actions ‘incompatible’ with friendly ties https://t.co/o3xsqRpC2W
— Rudaw English (@RudawEnglish) January 27, 2019
The tension in #Duhok against Turkish aggression is a test for Iraq’s Kurdish president @BarhamSalih, widely respected in the West for his diplomatic skills. He needs, however, to take a firm stance against #Erdogan endless incursions in #Iraqi #Kurdistan.
— Nervana Mahmoud (@Nervana_1) January 26, 2019
Nervana 