As Türkiye strives to enhance ties with Iraq, high diplomat Hakan Fidan made his first go to to the nation since his appointment as international minister earlier this summer time. Starting his three-day go to to the nation, Fidan was blunt in his name to Baghdad for recognition of one in all Türkiye’s major safety issues: the PKK terrorist group.
Türkiye expects Iraq to formally acknowledge the PKK as a terrorist group, Fidan mentioned Tuesday. Speaking at a joint news convention together with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein in Iraq’s capital Baghdad, Fidan mentioned, “We expect Iraq, out of friendship and brotherhood, to officially recognize PKK as a terrorist organization.”
“We should not permit the PKK terrorist group, which is a typical enemy of Türkiye and Iraq, to poison our bilateral relations.
“We cannot accept PKK challenging the sovereignty of Iraq,” he added.
Fidan mentioned that the territorial integrity, political unity and sovereignty of Iraq are one in all Türkiye’s priorities.
“Sinjar, Makhmour, Qandil, Sulaymaniyah and many other Iraqi districts have been occupied by the PKK terror group.”
In its greater than 35-year terror marketing campaign towards Türkiye, the PKK has been chargeable for the deaths of over 40,000 folks, together with ladies, youngsters and infants. The YPG is its Syrian department.
Türkiye helps Iraq’s battle towards the PKK terrorist group, Fidan mentioned.
“We are able to collaborate with Iraq within the battle towards all types of terrorist organizations, whether or not it is the PKK or Daesh, no matter their names.
“These groups, aiming to undermine Iraq’s territorial integrity and political unity, are targeting the stability and prosperity of our Iraqi brothers, and committing crimes against humanity,” he added.
For his half, Hussein mentioned that the Iraqi Constitution doesn’t permit any international armed group (such because the PKK terrorist group) to make use of Iraq as a base to launch assaults towards neighboring international locations.
Regarding President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s anticipated go to to Iraq, he mentioned: “I hope that we will quickly sign joint agreements and memoranda of understanding between the two parties to pave the way for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Baghdad.”
On Wednesday, Fidan was acquired by Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani. “In the meeting (with Rashid), the topics discussed included increasing our bilateral trade, counterterrorism efforts and the efficient utilization of transboundary waters between the two countries,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry mentioned on X, previously often called Twitter. Fidan is scheduled to fulfill the Iraqi parliamentary speaker and representatives of the Turkmen neighborhood in Iraq afterward Wednesday earlier than touring to northern Iraq to fulfill officers from Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). He is predicted to carry talks with KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani as properly.
The PKK is blacklisted as a terrorist group in Türkiye, together with the United States and the European Union. It has waged a bloody insurgency in Türkiye since 1984 that has claimed tens of 1000’s of lives, together with ladies and youngsters.
Ankara maintains dozens of navy bases in northern Iraq the place it recurrently launches operations towards the group, which maintains a stronghold within the Qandil Mountains. In the previous couple of years, intensifying operations within the area have demolished terrorist lairs in Metina, Avashin-Basyan, Zap and Gara. After eradicating the group’s affect in these areas, Türkiye additionally goals to clear Qandil, Sinjar and Makhmour.
Türkiye’s navy involvement in northern Iraq dates again over 20 years, individually from its operations towards the PKK, and likewise included the battle towards the Daesh terrorist group, which managed a lot of the world, in 2014 and 2015, when Ankara was an ally within the U.S.-led anti-Daesh marketing campaign. The terrorist group has been extra energetic in Syria after a civil battle broke out greater than a decade in the past. YPG terrorists management areas close to the Syrian-Iraqi border and unconfirmed stories say they journey between the 2 international locations secretly.
Turkish safety forces “neutralized” six extra members of the PKK/YPG terror group in northern Syria, Türkiye’s National Defense Ministry mentioned on Wednesday. The terrorists had opened harassing fireplace on the Operation Olive Branch zone, the ministry mentioned on X. Turkish authorities use the time period “neutralize” to indicate that the terrorists in query surrendered or had been killed or captured.
PKK/YPG terrorists conceal out in northern Syria, close to the Turkish border, the place they plan and perform assaults on each locals and close by settlements in Türkiye. Since 2016, Ankara has launched a trio of profitable anti-terror operations throughout its border in northern Syria to stop the formation of a terror hall and allow the peaceable settlement of residents: Euphrates Shield (2016), Olive Branch (2018) and Peace Spring (2019).
Source: www.dailysabah.com
