UPDATE - Türkiye will take further steps if Iraq's PUK party fails to change stance on PKK terrorists, says foreign minister

ADDS REMARKS BY FOREIGN MINISTER

By Gozde Bayar

Türkiye will not shrink from taking additional steps if one of the government parties in northern Iraq’s Kurdish region fails to change its supportive attitude towards PKK terrorists, the Turkish foreign minister said on Tuesday.

"We will not hesitate to take further measures if the PUK does not change its supportive attitude towards the PKK despite our sanctions against Sulaymaniyah in Iraq,” said Hakan Fidan, speaking of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) party, the junior partner in the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG).

Addressing the Turkish parliament, Fidan said a consultation process with Iraqi authorities continues, with great efforts being made to help their evolving understanding of PKK terrorists.

He reiterated that Türkiye will not leave the separatist terrorist group any place to feel safe along its borders or elsewhere.

Underlining that the PKK had to carry its activities mainly across the border as the terror group lost ground in Türkiye, he said his country took “important and new steps” in its counter-terrorism strategy.

"We shape our counter-terrorism diplomacy by taking into account the fact that the PKK has an armed presence in Syria, Iraq and Iran and has a political foot in many countries, especially in Europe. In this context, we position our efforts to destroy the PKK's presence in Syria and Iraq at the center of our regional relations,” he said.

He added that the organization gained ground by taking advantage of the “power vacuum and political division in Syria and Iraq.”

Mountainous regions in Iraq such as Qandil and Metina, as well as civilian settlements in Sinjar, Makhmur, Sulaymaniyah and Kirkuk have also become areas where the terror organization has a presence.

"PKK also exploited the power vacuum created by Daesh/ISIS (terror group) losing its presence in Iraq and shifted its influence to these areas,” he said, adding that PKK also continues its partial cooperation with Daesh/ISIS in the field.

The international coalition established in Syria based on opposition to the regime evolved over time into cooperation with the PKK under the guise of fighting against Daesh, he said, adding that, the PKK has come to control one-third of Syria.

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

Fidan’s remarks came in the wake of fresh PKK attacks in recent days taking the lives of 21 Turkish soldiers, followed by fierce Turkish attacks on terrorist targets in northern Iraq and Syria.

Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock in April 2022 to target the PKK terror organization's hideouts in Iraq's northern Metina, Zap, and Avasin-Basyan regions near the Turkish border.

It was preceded by Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle launched in 2020 to root out terrorists hiding out in northern Iraq and plotting cross-border attacks in Türkiye.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK — listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, UK, and EU — has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The YPG is the terrorist PKK's Syrian branch.​​​​​​​