MESOP NEWS : PKK’S NEW KANDIL POSITION IN SINJAR UNDER FIRE – PKK ready to respond to Turkish army operation in Iraq’s Sinjar: commander

8 Apr 2017 – SULAIMANI, Iraq’s Kurdistan region,— The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is preparing a response to any attack from the Turkish army, a commander of the People’s Defense Forces (HPG) in Iraq’s Yazidi area of Sinjar said.

HPG commander in Sinjar Agid Jivyan said on Thursday the Turkish government may launch an operation against the PKK in Sinjar as claims for the April 16 constitutional reform referendum. The commander called on the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and the Ministry of Peshmerga not to engage in the fighting between the PKK and Turkey.

“Although the Iraqi government and other forces in the Kurdistan Region were opposed to the deployment of Turkish forces in Iraq, the Turkish army may launch an operation against the PKK in Sinjar with the support and the assistance of a party in the Kurdistan Region,” he said.

Yeni Safak news reported on Thursday the Turkish government was planning to launch a new operation against the PKK in areas of Iraq’s  Kurdistan Region.

The news agency said the operation against the PKK in Sinjar would begin at the end of April and the beginning of May. Turkish officials have repeatedly said Turkey will not allow Sinjar to become another Qandil. www.mesop.de