Şırnak clashes (2015–2016)

The 2015–2016 Şırnak clashes were a series of armed clashes in the southeastern Şırnak province, between Turkish government forces and Kurdish armed groups, as part of the Turkish–Kurdish conflict.

2015–2016 Şırnak clashes
Part of the third phase of the Turkey–PKK conflict
DateAugust 2015-May 2016[1]
Location
Şırnak, Turkey
GoalsEstablish autonomous government in Şırnak[2]
MethodsArmed conflict
Urban guerrilla warfare
Resulted inTurkish Government victory[1]
PKK fail to establish autonomous region
Destruction of Silopi and Cizre
Parties to the civil conflict

Kurdistan Communities Union
Lead figures
Turan Bedirhanoğlu[7] Duran Kalkan[8]
Mustafa Karasu
Number
10,000 soldiers[9]
~200 maroon berets[3]
Unknown
Casualties and losses
600 killed in Cizre (according to Turkish army) [10]
92 civilians killed in Cizre (according to human rights groups)[10]

Background

Following the 2015 Suruç bombing, the ceasefire between the Turkish government and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) ended after the PKK executed two police officers in their sleep on 22 July.[11] In retaliation, the Turkish Air Force began striking PKK camps in northern Iraq,[12] beginning a new phase of the Turkey–PKK conflict. The re-escalation of the conflict between the PKK and the Turkish government caused a rise of discontent in the Kurdish-majority southeast.

Military action

2015

The first armed incident in Şırnak Province took place on 28 July when the Turkish Air Force bombed PKK fighters in the countryside.[13] The clashes in Şırnak began to escalate following a bomb explosion that damaged a section of the Kirkuk–Ceyhan pipeline within Şırnak Province on July 29[14] and an ambush by the PKK on July 30 which killed 3 Turkish soldiers. On 4 August, PKK forces attacked a guard post in Şırnak Province with an RPG, killing one soldier and injuring another. In a separate incident in the province, a mine killed two soldiers. Turkish F-16s targeting PKK camps in Hakkari Province in an act of retaliation. A PKK bomb explosion killed one civilian in Cizre on 5 August.[15]

On 7 August, Turkish Police clashed with PKK and YDG-H forces in Silopi, Cizre and Uludere and PKK-affiliated militants hijacked a minibus in Beytüşşebap.[16] 4 police officers and 1 army conscript were killed by separate PKK-affiliated attacks in Şırnak Province on 10 August.[17] Turkish forces killed 2 PKK militants following clashes in Beytüşşebap on 13 August.[18] Between 4–12 September, Turkey placed the first curfew on Cizre[19] during which it launched a military operation against the militia YDG-H.[20] 30 people were killed during the clashes, HDP leader Selahattin Demirtaş claiming 20 of which were civilians although the Turkish government challenged this claim.[21] Heavy clashes in Şırnak Province took place between 25–26 September, with the PKK claiming to have killed 75 soldiers and losing 14 militants[22] while Turkish forces claimed to have killed 36 militants and lost 2 soldiers.[23]

On 21 November, Turkish Air Force targeted PKK positions in Şırnak Province.[24] On the 14 December the Turkish government declared a twenty-four hour curfew for the cities Silopi and Cizre.[25] which were followed by large scale military operations by the Turkish forces launched on the 15 December against the YDG-H militias who set up barricades in the towns.[26] By 17 December, Turkish forces had claimed to have killed between 55–70 alleged PKK militants in the two towns.[27][28] The HDP leader Selahattin Demirtaş called on locals to resist the operations, denounced the government use of force, and called both the local people and government to find constructive actions.[29] On 31 December, 1 soldier was killed and 5 others injured following a PKK rocket attack.[30]

2016

On 19 January 2016 the twenty-four hour curfew in place since 14 December 2015 was reduced to a curfew only imposed in the hours between 6 pm and 5am.[31]

See also

References
  1. "PKK Şırnak'tan temizleniyor! Sona gelindi... - Son Dakika Gündem Haberleri". Milliyet. 2016-05-24. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  2. "Şırnak demokratik özerklik ilan etti - Cumhuriyet Türkiye Haberleri". Cumhuriyet. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  3. "Turkey deploying special commandos to Cizre - LOCAL". Hurriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  4. "Köy korucuları: Kürtleri PKK'dan koruyoruz". Ensonhaber.com. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  5. "ANF | HPG: Şırnak'ta 11 asker öldürüldü". Anfturkce.net. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  7. "PKK assassination attempt against Şırnak's appointed administrator prevented". Daily Sabah. 2017-01-31. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  8. "Özerklik oyununa ağır darbe - Aktüel". Aktuel.com.tr. 2015-08-19. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  9. "Cizre ve Silopi'de 10 bin askerle operasyon: Tanklar ilçe merkezinde - Türkiye Haberleri". Radikal. 2015-12-16. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  10. "Turkey eases curfew after assault on PKK rebels leaves Cizre in ruins". The Guardian. 2 March 2016. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  11. Marszal, Andrew (2015-07-22). "Kurdish militants claim 'revenge' killing of two Turkish policemen". Telegraph. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  12. "Turkey and the Kurds: The truce between Turkey and Kurdish militants is over". The Economist. 2015-07-26. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  13. "L'armée turque pilonne le PKK dans le sud-est". Le Figaro. 2015-07-28. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  14. "Oil pipeline blown up in east Turkey". Anadolu Agency. 2015-07-29. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  15. "Man killed in PKK bomb attack in eastern Turkey". Hurriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  16. "Five killed as PKK continues its attacks in Turkey". Hurriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  17. "Round-up: At least 6 security personnel killed in attacks in Istanbul, southeast Turkey". Hurriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  18. "PKK kills four more soldiers as Turkey faces non-stop violence in east". Hurriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  19. "More than 20 Cizre civilians dead during eight-day curfew: Relatives - Turkey News". Hürriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2020-04-26.
  20. "Who are the Kurdish militants fighting in Cizre?". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2020-04-26.
  21. "Turkey Kurds: Many dead in Cizre violence as MPs' march blocked". BBC News. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  22. "PKK: Dozens of Turkish soldiers killed in ongoing clashes". Rudaw. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  23. "Turkey says scores killed in southeastern clashes". Al Jazeera English. 2015-09-26. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  24. "Turkish military hits 23 PKK targets in N. Iraq". Daily Sabah. 2017-01-31. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  25. "Indefinite 24-hour curfew, over 200,000 in danger — Amnesty Urgent Actions". ua.amnesty.ch. Retrieved 2020-04-26.
  26. "Who are the Kurdish militants fighting in Cizre?". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2020-04-26.
  27. "Turkish Army kills 55 Kurdish militants during battle, party calls for resistance". Sydney Morning Herald. 2015-12-19. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  28. "Turkey kills 70 Kurdish militants, vowing to prevent 'chaos'". BBC News. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  29. "HDP Co-Chair Demirtaş Urges Allout Resistance Against Turkish State Terror And Curfews". Kurdishquestion.com. 21 December 2015.
  30. "Two Turkish police officers killed in southeastern Turkey". Hurriyet Daily News. Retrieved 2017-02-28.
  31. "Turkey: Further information: Curfew partially lifted,, people remain at risk". Amnesty International. 22 January 2016. Retrieved 26 April 2020.
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