MPs attend 40th day memorial for five Peshmerga soldiers killed by PKK on Mount Matin in Amedi district

Several Kurdistan Parliament MPs, led by Deputy Speaker Dr. Hemin Hawrami, on 15 July attended the 40th day post funeral memorial for five Peshmerga soldiers killed in an ambush by the PKK in June.

The families and friends of the deceased, MPs from Kurdistan Parliament’s martyrs and Peshmerga committees, government officials, political party representatives, and officers and senior officials in the Ministry of Peshmerga and Zeravani forces, also came to pay their respects.

The five Peshmerga were killed on 5 June 2021 in an ambush by the PKK on Mount Matin near Amedi, Duhok governorate.

In his speech, Deputy Speaker Hawrami said, “Today is a very sad day for all of us who are gathered here on the 40th day memorial for these five sons of Kurdistan, who were tragically killed at the hands of some who consider themselves Kurdistani."

He added, “Even before this tragic event, we in the Kurdistan Parliament tasked the Peshmerga and Interior committees and MPs from Duhok governorate to look into this issue. We have ordered the Peshmerga, local and border parliamentarians of Dhok province to investigate the situation soon," he said.

He continued, "After the killing of these five Peshmerga soldiers, we assigned a special committee with members from all of Parliament’s parties to investigate this tragedy. After their field visit and meetings, the committee sent a detailed report to Parliament’s Presidency, which we directed to the relevant parties. The view of all of the blocs and committees in Kurdistan Parliament is that the PKK only creates pretexts for regional countries’ forces to occupy Kurdistan Region’s territory, establish military bases and undermine Kurdistan Region's sovereignty and constitutional status. This is significant for us.”

Deputy Speaker Hawrami also said, "We think that the PKK will step up its anti-Kurdistani actions, creating more pretexts for the Turkish state to carry out acts of aggression on Kurdistan Region’s land with the excuse of fighting the PKK and to establish military forces inside the borders, and the PKK will try to weaken Kurdistan Region’s constitutional status. This is a very big threat to Kurdistan's security, to all the political parties and sides, and to all the people of Kurdistan."

Dr. Hawrami continued, "As well as condemning once again in the strongest terms the killing of these five Peshmerga soldiers at the hands of the PKK, we in the Kurdistan Parliament call on them, if they want to represent the Kurdish cause, not to use the territory of Kurdistan Region in Iraq as their arena; if they want Kurdistan Region’s support, the Kurdistan Region has been ready at every stage to support peaceful, diplomatic and political efforts to solve the problems facing Kurdish people in northern Kurdistan.”

"We hope that the highest price paid by these five brave Peshmerga will give us more reason to protect Kurdistan Region's constitutional status, and we hope that their ultimate sacrifice compels all the political parties and sides in Kurdistan to stop exploiting and playing political games with the PKK issue. The PKK is not only a problem and the source of threats against a particular force, the PKK is a problem and the source of threats against all the people of Kurdistan Region, Parliament, Government, and all the ministries and Peshmerga forces.”