Shingal Mayor, Nineveh Council blame PKK for Turkish airstrikes in Shingal
The presence of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Shingal has destabilized the rebuilding of the region, said a Nineveh official on Tuesday.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The presence of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Shingal has destabilized the rebuilding of the region, said a Nineveh official on Tuesday.
Turkish warplanes on early Tuesday morning shelled Shingal Mountain, targeting PKK bases and its armed force’s known as the Shingal Resistance Units (YBS).
The airstrikes also killed five Peshmerga soldiers and injured nine others.
In an interview with Kurdistan24, the Mayor of Shingal Mahma Khalil called on the PKK affiliates and Turkey to stop making Shingal a battlefield.
Khalil also mentioned the Yezidis (Ezidis) of Shingal are unable to return to their homes due to the instability in the area.
“PKK does not respect the request of Ezidi people when they ask PKK groups to leave the area,” he said.
“The Turkish airstrikes in Shingal are due to the presence of PKK in the area,” Khalil continued. “PKK destabilizes the region.”
Moreover, the head of the Nineveh Provincial Council (NPC) Bashar Kiki told Kurdistan24 that following the liberation of Shingal in November 2015, NPC delegates visited PKK in the area and asked them to leave, but they neither accepted nor respected the decision of Ezidis.
“It is very unfortunate that we see PKK supporting instability in the area,” Kiki said.
He added if the PKK wants to rebuild Shingal, they can contribute to local development instead of military action.
“There are Peshmerga forces which protect Shingal,” Kiki stated. “The international community deals with Peshmerga.”
“There is no need for the presence of other armed groups,” he noted, criticizing the PKK for not leaving Shingal.
The NPC leader called on the PKK to leave as well as asking Turkey to stop shelling Shingal.
“Baghdad has been ignorant in solving this issue by financially supporting the [PKK] armed groups,” said Kiki, calling on the international community and the UN to intervene.
Kurdistan24 also contacted Zardasht Shingali, the YBS spokesperson, who condemned the Turkish airstrikes.
Moreover, Shingali called on the Kurdistan Regional Government not to allow Turkish warplanes to cross the Kurdistan Region sky.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany