Hundreds of Iraqi Kurds marched Friday to protest Turkish strikes against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) after Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Ankara would press an operation against its bases.

Erdogan said earlier this month that Turkish jets had "destroyed 14 important targets" in the Sinjar and Qandil regions of northern Iraq, pledging that the attacks "will continue".

There have also been repeated ground incursions by the Turkish military into the region, with the PKK claiming Ankara's troops pushed 30 kilometres (19 miles) into Iraqi Kurdistan.

Outlawed by Ankara and its Western allies, the PKK has waged a bloody insurgency against the Turkish state since 1984, and the army is battling the group's militants both inside Turkey and in northern Iraq.

Supporters of the PKK and members of civil society gathered at the foot of Mount Qandil with placards reading "Qandil is a red line" at Friday's demonstration.

"We will not allow Erdogan to attack us and kill our leaders," PKK spokesman Sarhad Vartu told AFP.

There has been growing expectation in Turkey that the government was preparing a major operation against the PKK in Qandil as Ankara gears up for key presidential and parliamentary elections.

Authorities have denied any link to Sunday's vote but analysts said operations against the PKK in northern Iraq could give Erdogan at boost at the polls.

Related Links
News From Across The Stans

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Afghan peace marchers arrive in Kabul as Taliban end ceasefire
Kabul (AFP) June 18, 2018
Dozens of peace protesters arrived in Kabul on Monday after walking hundreds of kilometres across war-battered Afghanistan, as the Taliban ended an unprecedented ceasefire and resumed attacks in several parts of the country. Exhausted after their 700-kilometre (430-mile) 40-day trek, most of it during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, the marchers walked double file through the Afghan capital shouting "We want peace!" and "Stop fighting!" "We want our people to stay united for peace and get ... read more