Suspected Turkish drone strike kills two media workers in Sulaymaniyah

SULAYMANIYAH — A suspected Turkish drone strike targeted a vehicle in the Said Sadiq district of Sulaymaniyah early this morning, resulting in the deaths of two media workers and leaving a third seriously injured.

The attack occurred near the village of Goptapa along the Sulaymaniyah-Halabja road. The vehicle, owned by Chatr Multimedia Production, which operates Sterk TV—a channel linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK—was reportedly struck by the drone. Sterk TV is based in Stockholm but maintains an office in Sulaymaniyah.

Chatr Media identified the victims as Hero Bahadine, a video editor from Sangawi near Sulaymaniyah, and Gulistan Tara, a journalist from Batman, Turkey. The injured individual, Rebin Bakir, a video editor and social media officer for Sterk TV, is currently receiving treatment at a local hospital.

Kamal Hamaraza, head of Chatr Media Production, addressed the incident in a news conference. “Those three individuals are journalists and have no direct or indirect connection to politics.”

“Undoubtedly, a sinister internal force and a malicious scheme orchestrated by the Turkish state’s intelligence agency led to the martyrdom of our two journalists,” Hamaraza stated.

Karwan Anwar, head of the Sulaymaniyah branch of the Kurdistan Journalists Syndicate, also spoke out at a press conference. “We vehemently condemn any attacks on journalists. Under international law, journalists are shielded from all forms of harm, and even in times of war, they must not be targeted,” Anwar said. He added that the syndicate is officially reporting the incident to all relevant international organizations and federations.

Security forces are yet to issue a statement on the incident. However, Raza Mohammed, the mayor of Said Sadiq, told 964media that “the attack was carried out by Turkish drones, resulting in two deaths and one injury.“

This attack is part of a series of suspected Turkish actions targeting media vehicles. On July 8, another strike targeted a journalists’ car in the Sinjar District of northern Iraq, injuring two Çira TV reporters—Mydia Hussen and Murad Mirza—and their driver, Khalaf Khdir. Mirza later died from his injuries on July 11, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Çira TV is known for its affiliation with the Shingal Resistance Units, a Yazidi militia linked to the PKK.

On Aug. 23, a suspected Turkish drone strike in Syria’s Kurdish-controlled northeast targeted a car belonging to the all-female broadcaster JIN TV. The attack killed the driver, Najm El-Din Faisal Haj Sinan, and wounded journalist Dalila Agid, with this incident also reported by CPJ. JIN TV has ties to the PKK.

These airstrikes are part of ongoing Turkish military operations in the Kurdistan Region targeting the PKK, which has been waging a war on Turkey for decades. The operations have intensified, affecting areas like the Amedi district in Duhok province and resulting in numerous casualties and significant environmental damage across Duhok and Sulaymaniyah’s rural and mountainous border areas.

Turkey launched Operation Claw-Lock in April 2022, leading to significant military advancements this summer. On July 13, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Kurdish forces were “completely trapped” in Iraq and Syria, although conflicts continue with Turkish forces advancing into Iraqi Kurdistan.

A report from Community Peacemaker Teams dated August 14 details the long-term impact of military actions by Turkey and Iran in the region since 1991, noting that 425 civilians have been killed and another 420 injured, mostly due to Turkish operations.