Turkey's defense minister presses Baghdad, Erbil for cooperation against PKK

Akar and PDK head Masoud Barzani (Photo: AA)

Minister of Defense Hulusi Akar has completed his two-day visit to Iraq, where he met the presidents and prime ministers of Iraq and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), as well as other senior officials.

Cooperation against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) with both Baghdad and Erbil topped Akar's agenda as he said they agreed on many issues.

"After the meetings, we were pleased to see that our view and approaches are very close," he told reporters at Turkey's consulate after completing his visits, according to the state-run Anadolu Agency.

Among the eight officials he and Chief of the General Staff Yaşar Güler met were Iraq's President Barham Salih, Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi, Interior Minister Ali Farhood al-Ghanimi, KRG Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and Kurdistan Democratic Party (PDK) Chair Masood Barzani. He also visited the Iraqi Turkmen Front's office in Erbil.

"We told them that we are putting serious pressure on the PKK terrorist organization, that we are almost following them step-by-step and this fight will continue until the last terrorist is neutralized," said Akar.

"I believe that [the meetings] will have a very positive reflection in the field in a very short time," he added.

Since May 2019, Turkey has carried out five military operations in the KRG territory against the PKK, which are named "the Tiger Operations" and has set up several military bases in the KRG's north, near the border with Turkey.

When asked whether Ankara will carry out a joint military operation into the region with Erbil and Baghdad, Akar responded, "Rather than saying such a thing at the start, [I would say] we will continue exchanging information."

However, he noted, "We told the parties that Turkey is ready to provide support for eliminating terrorists in Iraq's Sinjar region if they seek any help or support."

The Shingal agreement

Ankara also carried out several airstrikes on Shingal (Sinjar) mountains in the province of Nineveh, with the last one being in June.

In October, Erbil and Baghdad signed an agreement under the auspices of the UN for the removal of "unauthorized armed forces" from the Shingal town.

"We have information that the terrorists haven't completely left the Sinjar area," Akar said, adding that the removal of the PKK from the area will be ensured with new measures to be taken in the coming days.

The KRG Prime Minister's Office also said in a statement Tuesday (January 19) that "the importance of implementing the Shingal agreement was stressed" in the meeting with Akar, according to the KRG's Rudaw agency.

PDK Chair Masoud Barzani wrote on Twitter," Pleased to receive Mr. Hulusi Akar, today at the Barzani HQ. We discussed the ongoing cooperation between Iraq, the Kurdistan Region and Turkey and stressed the significance of further strengthening that correlation."

The Iraqi PM's office also released a statement on Monday, saying that "The two sides agreed on the importance of addressing terrorist threats near the common border areas, and stability will open the doors for greater cooperation between the two countries, supporting prosperity and progress for the honest Iraqi and Turkish peoples." (VK)