Turkish ambassador praises Iraq’s PKK ban amid enhanced cooperation

Shafaq News/ On Thursday, the new Turkish Ambassador to Baghdad, Anil Bora Inan, praised Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani's decision to classify the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) as "banned" in official Iraqi statements.

The ambassador said in an interview with Anadolu Agency that “important progress has been made between Turkiye and Iraq in the war against PKK,” adding, “Following Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's visit to Iraq in August 2023, the supreme security mechanism was activated to confront this party.”

Inan said, “The PKK’s designation as a common threat at the December 2023 Ankara meeting, its classification as a banned organization in March 2024, and Al-Sudani’s recent use of the term ‘banned’ in speeches are steps that deserve praise and welcome.”

"The ongoing operations by our military in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (KRI) are conducted with full respect for Iraq's territorial integrity. Turkiye's goal is to eliminate the PKK, which poses a threat to both Turkish and Iraqi national security," the ambassador further stated.

Notably, Turkiye's military operations in Iraq, particularly in the KRI, have been a point of contention regarding Iraq's sovereignty. The Turkish government justifies these operations by citing the threat posed by PKK to both countries. However, these actions are viewed by some as a violation of Iraq’s territorial integrity.