Protest ongoing Turkish intervention in Iraq, Syria
Kurdish rebels launched a mortar attack on a Turkish military position in northern Iraq, killing one soldier Aug. 13. The troops were stationed at the outpost as part of Ankara's "Operation Claw-Lightning" to hunt down fighters of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Turkey's Defense Ministry said its forces immediately retaliated for the attack, and three PKK fighters were "neutralized" (killed). (Al Jazeera) The following day, thousands of Kurds marched in Dusseldorf, Germany, to protest ongoing Turkish military operations in Turkey's eastern Kurdish region, in northern Iraq, and in Syria's Rojava region. The demonstration was timed for the 37th anniversary of the start of the PKK's armed struggle against the Turkish state. Organizers reported that local police banned slogans calling for the release of imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. (Rudaw)
Turkey: slaying of Kurdish family raises tensions
A Kurdish family of seven in Turkey’s Konya was killed June 30 in an attack on their home, which was put to the torch. The Dedeoglu family, who lived in the Meram district of Konya, were shot dead, apparently by Turkish nationalists who did not want Kurds living in the area. Three women were among the slain. (Rudaw)
Turkey launches new offensive against Kurdish rebels in Iraq
Turkey has launched a new air and ground offensive against Kurdish fighters in northern Iraq. Operation Claw-Lock is targeting PKK strongholds in the Metina, Zap and Avashin-Basyan regions of Iraq. The operation was launched two days after a rare visit to Turkey by the prime minister of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region, Masrour Barzani, suggesting that he had been briefed on Ankara’s plans. Barzani said after his talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that he welcomed "expanding cooperation to promote security and stability" in northern Iraq. (Al Jazeera)