Iraqi Christian Village Empty after Turkish Airstrikes
Iraq (International Christian Concern) – A report by Rudaw shared that the Christian village of Sheranish is left abandoned because of Turkish airstrikes in the area over the past several months. Some residents have suffered displacement before, further adding to the pain of yet again having to leave their homes. Residents say that Turkey indiscriminately bombed the village and its surrounding area .
Turkey claims that they are conducting military operations targeting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is recognized as a terrorist organization. However, Turkey has also frequently come under international condemnation for indiscriminately targeting civilians. Many Christians living in this area report that Turkey is bombing their homes even though there is no established PKK presence in their vicinity. It is viewed as a continuation of a historical genocide, as many of these Christians are Assyrian and were thus targeted by Ottoman-era Turkey in the early 1900s.
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