Syrian Kurds have stood in parallel with the campaign of independence referendum of Iraqi Kurdistan, informed the expert on Turkish-Kurdish conflict affairs, Turkologist Karen Hovhannisyan. He noted that particularly in Hakkari province which is always a hotspot for clashes, serious clashes between Kurdish armed forces and Turkish soldiers have taken place, Turkish soldiers have been killed, about which the General Staff of Turkey was keeping silence: “The information was spread after the photographs of the corpses of Turkish dead soldiers were spread by Kurdish armed people. Overall, Turkish-Kurdish relations are sharply strained and explosive, in relation to the referendum of Iraqi Kurdistan. The Kurdish populated areas of Turkey are going to say “Yes” to referendum, which bothers Turkey a lot. I think, Hakkari will also submit an application for independence referendum in the future.”
Regardless of that, according to the expert, the formation of Turkish Kurdistan is not visible in the near future, if, of course, no force majeure situations occur: “It is remarkable that if the clashes between Turkish Kurds and soldiers were happening on national and military grounds by now, currently, by Erdogan’s hand, they have moved into a religious field. Lately Erdogan publicly scolded the President of the Religious Council of Kurds and demanded his resignation. Erdogan reasons that Kurds have stood against Turkey on religious grounds”, mentioned Karen Hovhannisyan.
Luiza SUKIASYAN
