As the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) continue their medium-scale operation in Northern Iraq, the Kurdish armed forces known as Peshmerga, are preparing for a possible military engagement in case local civilians are targeted.
The TAF has so far killed more than 100 fighters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), according to an announcement made on Sunday by the General Staff. Fifteen Turkish soldiers were also reported killed since the operation began last Thursday.
Although the TAF has repeatedly announced it would only target PKK fighters based in Iraqi Kurdistan, leaders of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Northern Iraq stated they would react if the local population were harmed.
So far, the military operation has reportedly not advanced further than the mostly uninhabited region across the border.
This mountainous area is not only uninhabited but is also void of any Kurdish Peshmerga forces, Falah Mu’stafa Bakir, head of KRG’s Department of Foreign Relations, told The Media Line.
Recent reports from the region indicate that some PKK fighters were seen escaping southward to the more populated areas of the semi-autonomous territory of Iraqi Kurdistan.
This raises the possibility that PKK fighters might seek refuge inside local villages, prompting a possible attack by the Turkish troops, analysts at The Media Line indicate.
"If civilians of the Kurdistan region will be targeted, then it is our natural right to defend ourselves," Bakir told The Media Line, reiterating yesterday’s statement by Iraqi Kurdistan President Mahmoud Barzani.
Despite the fact that the Turks and the KRG have no desire to start a war between themselves, this possibility should be considered as the military operation nears the populated areas.
The Peshmerga
With between four and five million Kurds living in Northern Iraq, estimates with regard to the size of the KRG’s armed forces – the Peshmerga – range between 180,000 and 400,000.
According to the new Iraqi constitution, drafted following the demise of Saddam Hussein’s regime in 2003, the Peshmerga are considered a Regional Guard and part of the Iraqi defense system. This considerable armed force is under the command of the KRG and is not subordinate to Iraq’s national army.
A Kurdish delegation, which was sent to meet the Iraqi Federal Government in Baghdad last December, demanded that the Peshmerga be allocated 17 percent of the Federal Defense Ministry’s budget as part of the defense system. So far, however, the Peshmerga have not allocated any funds.
According to Bakir, the exact number of Peshmerga troops has not yet been established.
"Right now, the [KRG’s] Ministry of Peshmerga Affairs is considering the situation, going through the structures and the unification process. That is why the numbers are not final. I do not believe, however, the number has reached 400,000," Bakir said.
Reports from Northern Iraq suggest that no more than 10,000 Turkish soldiers – and possibly far fewer – have crossed the Iraqi border in the past few days. Despite their operational superiority over the local Peshmergas, they are still vastly outnumbered by them.
Bakir maintained that the Peshmerga are the most experienced forces in Iraq.
"They have fought the former regime and they have played a major role in liberating the northern front… during the time of the [American-led] operation," he said.
Before fighting Saddam Hussein, the Peshmerga were known as an armed force, which participated in several rebellions in the 20th century.
The roots of this force can be found in the late 19th century, when the Ottoman Empire in 1891 merged a local Turkish leadership with Kurdish tribal fighters. This pre-Peshmerga force fought under the Ottoman Empire’s army during World War I, but has since been fighting to gain influence over its own Kurdish population.
Among the Peshmerga’s finest – though short – hours was the 1991 uprising, which took place during the First Gulf War. More than 100,000 Peshmerga forces from several Kurdish tribes took advantage of the Iraqi army’s engagement in the war against the American-led alliance and conquered three quarters of Northern Iraq. The rebellion persisted throughout 1991, but Saddam’s army finally managed to regain control, leaving much destruction and death in Iraqi Kurdistan.
Between 1995 and 1998 Peshmerga forces were divided between two rival Kurdish groups. Fighting between the two groups has greatly diminished their power. The internal conflict ended in 1998.
Since 2003 the Peshmerga were assigned as official border guards by the U.S. military command and the Iraqi government. Several reports indicate that many Peshmerga troops were trained by Israeli and American military experts and participated in ousting Saddam Hussein’s regime and later in the fight against the various Iraqi terror groups.
Talks about the unification of two major Peshmerga forces into one force are presently taking place, and according to Bashir, the unification is close.