SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The Iraqi Government has made “discrimination” in compensating the victims of the Turkish and Iranian bombings, according to a Member of the Iraqi Parliament on Friday.
Both Turkey as well as Iran have repeatedly attacked sites in Iraq, particularly the Kurdistan Region, either with missiles or drones or even involving artillery and fighter jets to target the Kurdish groups.
In most of the attacks the casualties were civilians, mostly residents of the Kurdistan Region, however, in rare incidents Iraqi Arab nationals were also victimized.
Member of the Iraqi Council of Representatives Bryar Rashid revealed that “discrimination” has been made by the Iraqi government in compensating the martyrs and the victims of the bombings.
Arab nationals received compensation while the Kurds have not, according to Rashid, and he demonstrated the example of Turkey’s deadly shelling on Duhok north of the Kurdistan Region back in July this year.
Back then, in late July the Turkish artilleries targeted a tourist spot in Duhok’s Parakh village where more than 34 Arab civilians were either killed or severely injured.
“The victims of Duhok’s Turkish bombing who were Arabs have immediately received compensation from the Iraqi government, while the Kurdish civilians who have been targeted repeatedly have never been compensated,” he said.
“Even the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) refuses to call the Kurdish victims of the Turkish and Iranian attacks (martyrs),” he added.
Turkey and Iran regularly carry out air strikes and shelling in the Kurdistan Region as part of a campaign in Iraq against militants of the Kurdish groups. Ankara and Teheran regard as terrorist groups.
The attacks have recently witnessed escalation as both Iran and Turkey have renewed airstrikes on Kurdish dissidents’ sites that are based in the Kurdistan Region, resulting in mass casualties despite local and international condemnations.
