26-10-2024 (ANKARA) Turkish forces conducted extensive military strikes across Kurdish-held territories in Syria and Iraq late Wednesday, claiming at least 12 lives, including two children, in response to a devastating attack on a defence facility in the Turkish capital.
The military operation, targeting 47 locations identified by Turkey’s Defence Ministry as “terrorist sites,” came after a deadly assault on the Turkish Aerospace Industries headquarters that killed five people and wounded more than a dozen others. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) subsequently claimed responsibility for the attack, identifying two of its members as the perpetrators.
The moments when Turkey bombed the city center of Tel Rifaat, a Kurdish city in Rojava (northern Syria), without distinguishing between women and children.#DefendRojava
pic.twitter.com/GKmll9SVkf— Mirovatî (@Mirovatiyek) October 23, 2024
Verified footage revealed significant damage to civilian infrastructure in the Kurdish-controlled cities of Kobani and Qamishli in northeast Syria, with electrical systems bearing the brunt of the bombardment. SDF Commander General Mazlum Abdi accused Turkish forces of conducting indiscriminate strikes that damaged essential facilities, including healthcare centres, while reiterating his forces’ willingness for diplomatic dialogue.
The escalation occurs against a complex backdrop of approximately 900 U.S. troops stationed in the region as part of the anti-ISIS coalition, where the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) serves as a crucial American ally. Neither the U.S. Defense Department nor Central Command has commented on the recent developments.
In a parallel development, diplomatic channels appear to be opening, with discussions emerging between Turkish authorities and imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan. His nephew, Omer, recently indicated the leader’s readiness to negotiate an end to the decades-long conflict. Turkish political figure Devlet Bahceli has proposed allowing Ocalan to address parliament, suggesting potential parole in exchange for the PKK’s dissolution.
