Turkey launched a second day of airstrikes on Kurdish militant targets in Iraq and Syria on Thursday, following an attack on Turkish Aerospace Industries (TUSAS) that left at least five people dead.
The strikes targeted military, energy, and infrastructure facilities used by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and affiliated Syrian Kurdish militias.
According to the state-run Anadolu Agency, Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization deployed armed drones to hit “strategic locations” controlled by the PKK.
Defense Minister Yasar Guler confirmed 47 targets were destroyed including 29 in Iraq and 18 in Syria.
“Our noble nation should rest assured that we will continue with increasing determination our struggle to eliminate the evil forces that threaten the security and peace of our country and people, until the last terrorist disappears from this geography,” he said.
There was no immediate statement from the PKK on the attack.
Ambulances wait in line outside Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. at the outskirts of Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. The PKK, a Kurdish militant group fighting for autonomy in southeast Turkey since the 1980s, is suspected of orchestrating the TUSAS attack, although no group has officially claimed responsibility.
AP Photo
TUSAS Attack Prompts Strikes
The airstrikes were in response to an attack at TUSAS, a key defense facility near Ankara, on Wednesday.
Two assailants, a man and a woman, commandeered a taxi, killed the driver, and used explosives and firearms to breach the facility.
They killed four people, including a security guard and a mechanical engineer.
Both attackers were killed by security forces, but the attack left over 20 people injured. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, but Turkish officials pointed to the PKK.
The PKK, which is classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies, has waged an insurgency for autonomy in southeast Turkey since the 1980s. This conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives.
Turkey’s defense systems, particularly those developed by TUSAS, have played a crucial role in the government’s efforts to combat Kurdish militants.
In this image take from security camera video shows two people with guns and backpacks during an attack on the premises of the Turkish state-run aerospace and defense company (TUSAS), on the outskirts of Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday Oct. 23, 2024. Turkey regularly conducts military operations against the PKK in Iraq and Syria, viewing the group and its affiliates as major threats to national security.
Validated UGC via AP
Civilian Casualties Reported in Syria
Turkish strikes in northern Syria killed 12 civilians and wounded 25, according to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a U.S.-backed group.
The SDF said the strikes targeted vital infrastructure, including bakeries, power stations, and oil facilities.
Turkey’s use of drones and warplanes in the region has intensified in recent months as the country seeks to neutralize what it sees as an existential threat from Kurdish militants.
The strikes have also targeted PKK hideouts in the mountainous regions of Iraq, where the group has long maintained a presence.
People gather outside of Turkish Aerospace Industries Inc. at the outskirts of Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a U.S.-backed group, reported that retaliatory Turkish airstrikes targeted infrastructure including bakeries, power stations, and oil facilities, contributing to civilian casualties.
AP Photo
Future of PKK Remains Uncertain
The airstrikes come amid renewed political discourse in Turkey regarding the future of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, who has been imprisoned since 1999.
Ocalan’s nephew, Omer Ocalan, announced on social media that family members were granted permission to visit the imprisoned leader for the first time since 2020. Ocalan has remained a central figure in the conflict, with his calls for autonomy and Kurdish rights gaining him both supporters and enemies within Turkey.
Despite the Turkish government’s military campaign against the PKK, efforts for peace talks have occasionally surfaced.
Recent comments from Turkey’s far-right nationalist party raised the possibility of granting parole to Abdullah Ocalan if he renounces violence and agrees to disband his organization.
As of now, the TUSAS attack has dampened any immediate hopes for dialogue.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
