Despite a ceasefire declared unilaterally by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), the Turkish army continues to escalate their attacks on the guerrilla-held Medya Defense Zones in southern Kurdistan (northern Iraq). According to the HPG balance sheet for March, the Turkish army carried out a total of 11,585 air and ground attacks against the guerrilla areas in northern Iraq. On April 7, two guerrillas were martyred in the Çirav area in Garê region as a result of two bombardments carried out by an UCAV of the occupying Turkish army. On April 11, two guerrillas were martyred as a result of Turkish attacks with chemical weapons and banned explosives in the Zap region.

In a statement earlier today, the Press Center of the People's Defense Forces (HPG) announced that the occupying Turkish army continued to target guerrilla areas. According to the statement, Turkish military forces in the Zap and Metîna regions of Medya Defense Zones  are taking advantage of the ceasefire, exploiting guerrilla forces' abstention from action to move freely and encircle guerrilla base areas. “In this manner, they are using the ceasefire position in a highly despicable manner, aiming to eliminate tunnel resistance fighters. Turkish military forces are attacking our tunnels with high-powered explosives, chemical gas, explosive-laden drones, drills attempting to bore through the tunnels, excavators attempting to destroy the tunnels, and heavy weapons. Despite the decisions of the PKK's 12th Congress (to disband and disarm), the Turkish army has been intensively using chemical gas in recent days against our base areas in Girê Amediyê and Sêgirê village near Amediyê district of Başûrê (Southern) Kurdistan and the Şêlazê village in Metîna. The Turkish army has set as its primary objective the annihilation of guerrilla forces in these three camps using chemical gas,” said the HPG statement.

In a written statement on Friday, the Kurdish Democratic Societies Congress in Europe (KCDK-E) said that despite the ceasefire in effect since March 1, attacks on guerrilla areas in the Zap and Metîna regions continue unabated. “Despite the freedom guerrillas' compliance with the ceasefire, their bases are being surrounded and targeted for destruction,” KCDK-E) said.

The statement further said the following: "These attacks, which are mainly directed against tunnel resistance fighters and aimed at destruction, have reached a high level in recent days. High-powered explosives, chemical gas, and explosive-laden drones are being used to drill and destroy the tunnels.

The peace that Leader Apo (Abdullah Öcalan) seeks to develop and the decisions of the PKK’s 12th Congress (to disband and disarm) are sought to be undermined. The mindset that promotes war and massacre does not adhere to any moral standards. This is clearly an attempt to sabotage the peace process.

On this occasion, we call on all segments of society that support genuine peace and a solution to take a stand and stop the Turkish army, which intends to commit atrocities with all kinds of prohibited weapons. We also call on all our institutions and all democratic pro-peace circles to take action to prevent the Turkish state from using prohibited weapons in an inhumane manner in Metîna and Western Zap.”