Parastin, the intelligence agency of the KDP, the ruling party in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and Turkish National Intelligence Service (MIT) established a new checkpoint last night between the centre of Duhok and the Qentara Valley in the Zawête town of Amadiya.

According to reports, the KDP and the Turkish state are working jointly at the checkpoint which was established under the name of Parastin.

It is reported that the computers at the checkpoint contain information on Kurdish patriots, revolutionaries and activists and checks are conducted by the Turkish MIT.

In addition, food and goods belonging to the civilian population are confiscated at the checkpoint on the grounds that they are sent to the guerrilla forces.

While Rojnews published images of the checkpoint, local sources report that citizens' identity information is questioned at the checkpoints held by Turkish forces. Those who pass through the checkpoint are warned by Turkish soldiers saying, “This is a territory of Turkey, take your identity cards and passports with you when you travel.”

In recent months, the Turkish state has been expanding its occupation, establishing checkpoints and threatening the Kurds on their own territory. Villages in the countryside are also being systematically shelled. Civil society organisations report that dozens of villages have been forcibly evacuated and hundreds more are under threat. In addition, since the beginning of the year, many civilians have lost their lives in the attacks of the invaders. The Turkish state relies on the KDP, the party of the Barzani family, in its occupation operations.