DUHOK - A shepherd, who lost 18 of his sheep as a result of the bombardment of the Kanî Masî sub-district of the Federated Kurdistan Region by Turkey, said, "I was threatened not to tell anyone about the chemical gases."
The military operations launched by Turkey in the Federated Kurdistan Region on April 23 continue with the use of chemical gases. The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which supports Turkey's military operations due to their $42 billion in Turkish banks and its more than 400 companies, formed a line with the ditches dug from Dîdewan in the Xelîfan region to Heci Omeran on September 20. KDP also built outposts at 8 kilometers intervals on this line. According to the information obtained from peshmerga sources, a new mobile outpost was established for the MIT by the KDP in the Xelanî Biyaw area located to the east of Xelîfan, which Turkey could not enter militarily.
It was stated that the MİT, which was recently located in the Xelanî Biyaw area of the Xelîfan region, formed mobile teams with 3 groups of four people in the Dola Alanê area, which is located in the east of Xelîfan and on the lower slopes of Korek Mountain.
SHEPHERDS THREATENED WITH CHEMICAL GAS
The chemical gas used by the Turkish Armed Forces in the last 3 months, were confirmed by the villagers in the region. A team of MIT and KDP members held a meeting with the village headmen in the region. At the meeting, they were asked to convey information about the mobility of PKK members in the region and told the shepherds can only graze their animals at certain times. It was also stated at the meeting that the shepherds were warned not to share information with anyone about the use of chemical gases in the bombardments of the Turkish Armed Forces.
It was stated that shepherds were threatened at the meeting, about the issue of chemical gases. They were told that they should not bring up the issue to the delegations that came as observers before the elections to be held in Iraq. A Shepherd, who said he was threatened, told that chemical gases were used in the living areas of PKK members, especially around the Kanî Masî sub-district, Deşişê, Hirore, Derarê, Kestê, Bankê Jor and Bankê Jêr villages. Explaining that they were affected by the smoke that came after the bombardment even though they were far away while grazing their animals in the region, and that 18 of his animals were killed as a result of the gas, the shepherd continued as follows: “I could barely save myself and the animals by getting them away from there. Unfortunately, I couldn't save the 18 sheep that were a little far from me. They all died from that rising smoke.”
Emphasizing that he was told that he was affected by the gas in the hospital he went to after this incident, the shepherd said he was told, “As you were warned before, you will not talk about chemical gas, especially to the press, nor to foreign delegations who will come to the region for elections."
MA / Erdoğan Altan