The strikes carried out by Turkey against the Kurds militants are bothering US lawmakers, as voices of members of Congress began to critique what is happening in northern Iraq.
Members of Congress called for holding Turkey accountable for its actions and taking a decisive stand on what is going on. According to a report published by The National Interest , an American pro-republican magazine.
Turkey’s operations, called “Eagle Claw” and “Tiger Claw”, target Iraqi areas under Kurdish militants control where there are bases and training camps for the PKK, which is designated a terrorist organization by many countries including Turkey.
US Representative Elliot Engel said in a statement Friday that he condemns Turkish airstrikes and ground operations near the areas under the control of Kurdish and Yazidi militants, describing the Ankara operation there as “reckless and dangerous” to civilian lives, especially from a NATO member country.
Engel, who is the former chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, called on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to immediately halt the process.
Representative Jim Cooper, who represents the American city of Nashville and which hosts a large Kurdish community, said Saturday that he was “very annoyed” by the Turkish military operation in northern Iraq.
These statements come from US lawmakers after a video clip spread on social networks where a lake was allegedly bombed by Turkish civilians while Kurdish civilian families were playing with their children in Sulaymaniyah.
Another cowardly attack by @RTErdogan targeting civilians in Kuna Masi #Slemani. The #Turkish state is indiscriminately attacking #Kurds at any given opportunity while facing no real condemnation for their crimes. #TurkeyIsBombingKurds #Kurdistan video via @thejilswani pic.twitter.com/cfPM7ZcL8o
— Dr. Mahmoud Othman – د. مەحمود عوسمان (@Drmahmoudothman) June 26, 2020
After a thorough investigation of the tweeted video by The Eastern Herald fact check, it is found that the alleged blast in this video is not mortar, rocket, grenade, or any weapon attack as claimed. Either its a cracker or something else which caused no casualty or physical harm to anyone, this is merely a setup to malign the image of Turkey worldwide, said a reliable source in the same area of Turkey.
In the above screen, it is clearly seen the situation before the alleged/fake rocket attack.
Next shot from the alleged/fake Turkish rocket attack video.
Another shot from the video footage of the alleged/fake Turkish rocket attack.
No harm can be seen in this footage to any life by the alleged/fake Turkish rocket attack.
One can easily find that the alleged/fake Turkish rocket attack was not any kind of attack.
The American Committee on Religious Freedom appointed by Congress to investigate human rights issues around the world condemned Turkish attacks and their implications for Yezidi (militants).
Gail Mansion, head of the committee, said that what the Turkish forces are doing represents a dangerous escalation of violence in an already fragile area, and it threatens Yezidi families who are already traumatized by what happened to them during last few years.
Representative Frank Ballooni said in a tweet on Twitter that the United States should work diplomatically with allies to end Erdogan’s reckless, dangerous and harsh practices in the region.
Ankara justifies its incursion into the Iraqi border occupied by militants as a defensive campaign against the PKK, which is a designated terrorist organization by Turkey and the United States as well.
In a statement on Friday, the Turkish Ministry of Defense claimed that its military operation was successful and that no civilians were injured . But many media reports(outside Turkey and Iraq) say that at least five civilians have been killed in Turkish attacks in northern Iraq so far.
Baghdad, for its part, condemned the Turkish military operation as being against its sovereignty, as it was revealed that Iran was also participating in the bombing of several Kurdish militants occupied cities and villages.
For its part, the US State Department issued a statement saying that the United States urges all countries neighboring Iraq to respect its sovereignty, but we recognize the legitimate Turkish security concerns.
She considered that what is happening is a bilateral Iraqi-Iraqi affair, which they must settle with each other.
The Labor Party had launched a separatist revolt in Turkey in 1984, and the conflict between the Turkish authorities and Kurdish militants had caused more than 40,000 deaths, including a large number of civilians.
