Developing 'common understanding' in fight against terrorism to be on agenda in talks with Iraq: Türkiye

By Sumeyye Dilara Dincer, Gokhan Celiker, Can Efesoy, Tugba Altun

ANKARA (AA) - Developing "common understanding" in the fight against terrorism will be on the agenda during talks Thursday with Iraq, a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman said Wednesday.

Noting a joint statement with Iraq at the last summit in which "the PKK was defined as a common threat for both countries," Oncu Keceli said Türkiye deemed the designation of the terror group as a common security threat by Iraqi authorities as "a signal that the determination to fight the PKK on the Iraqi side has begun to emerge."

His remarks came ahead of a visit by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, along with National Defense Minister Yasar Guler and head of National Intelligence Organization Ibrahim Kalin, to Iraq where they will attend the next meeting Thursday of the security-oriented consultations with Iraq to be hosted by Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.

Various topics on the bilateral agenda, particularly cooperation in the fields of combatting terrorism, security as well as military cooperation will be discussed thoroughly during the meeting in Baghdad.

Keceli told reporters in Ankara that security and military cooperation issues will top the agenda of the Türkiye-Iraq Security Summit meeting.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US and the European Union -- has been responsible for the deaths of over 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the PKK’s Syrian offshoot.

PKK terrorists often hide in northern Iraq to plot cross-border attacks in Türkiye.

Turning to energy issues, Keceli said there will be talks to develop natural gas resources in Iraq and ship them to international markets.

Noting that the Iraq-Türkiye Oil Pipeline has been closed for some time, he said: "We said last October that shipments could be started through this pipeline and that there is no problem for us. However, we see that the Iraqi side is not yet ready to commence shipments."

Türkiye hopes all parties in Iraq will reach an agreement within the framework of mutual dialogue and understanding, and shipments to the pipeline will begin "as soon as possible," added Keceli.

*Writing by Serdar Dincel