Tukriye establishes new military posts in northern Duhok, Iraqi Kurdistan

Shafaq News/ Turkish forces have set up new military positions in the north of Duhok governorate, within Iraq's Kurdistan region, amid ongoing operations against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a local source reported on Sunday.

The source told Shafaq News Agency, "Turkish forces established several new military posts in the Nahili area of Al-Amadiya district, between the Serkli and Rashafa valleys on the slopes of Matin Mountain." These positions are reportedly equipped with weapons, military vehicles, and machinery for road construction and base establishment.

Since 2019, Ankara has established several bases in the Duhok Governorate through informal agreements between Turkiye and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).

Informal figures suggest that Turkiye has a permanent deployment of 5,000 to 10,000 soldiers in Iraqi territory, where it has created a de facto secure zone and moved the armed struggle onto Iraqi soil. It has also built roads in Iraq to connect its military bases and achieve more effective area control. The last one was in February 2024, when Ankara said the road is to "streamline the movement of military and logistical supplies to its bases in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq."

In 2022, Chief of Staff of the Iraqi Army Abdel Emir Yarallah exposed the extent of Turkiye's military presence in Iraq, revealing that it operates five bases in the country.

Yarallah said, "The bases include more than 4,000 Turkish fighters." noting that Turkiye had 40 positions in Iraq in 2021, and the figure has since risen to 100, with many located just short distances from the Zakho, Al-Amadiya, and Duhok regions.

Iraq views Turkish airstrikes and bases as a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. These operations commonly cause civilian casualties and damage infrastructure alongside the killing of PKK members.

The Iraqi government also worries that Turkish military presence in northern Iraq could destabilize the Region and empower Kurdish separatists within Iraq.

On the other hand, Turkiye expressed disappointment in the Iraqi government's historical "reluctance" to acknowledge and ban the PKK as a terrorist organization.

However, recent developments have signaled a shift in Iraq's stance.

Last March, Turkiye proposed the establishment of a "joint operation center" with Iraq to combat the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a move that has received a positive response from Baghdad.

The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union.

In late June, the U.S.-based organization Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT) observed the entry of 300 Turkish tanks and armored vehicles into the Kurdistan region, establishing a security barrier within the Badinan area.

According to the CPT report, approximately 1,000 Turkish soldiers have been transported between the Turkish military bases, setting up a security checkpoint between the villages, allowing civilian passage only after identity verification.

The report indicated that Turkiye's new plan is to establish a security line stretching from Shiladze to Batifa, passing through Dirluk, Bamarni, and Bekova. All villages, towns, districts, sub-districts, valleys, and lands behind this line would be under Turkish military control, potentially turning these areas into conflict zones if clashes occur.

The report also suggested that another objective of this Turkish military movement is to reach Mount Haftanin in the Shiladze area and occupy the Gara mountain range, which would result in the Kurdistan Regional Government losing control over 70-75% of Duhok.

In response, Zeki Akturk, Press and Public Relations Advisor at the Turkish defense ministry stated that Turkish forces are working to enhance control in the Claw-Lock operation area along the border.

"We are developing control over the area achieved so far through the ongoing Claw-Lock operation in northern Iraq since April 2022, with extraordinary and unexpected operations in line with field requirements," he said in a press statement.

He added, "Turkish forces continue their activities to neutralize the PKK's operational capabilities, aiming to completely secure northern Iraq while taking effective and dynamic measures along the border."

Akturk noted that authorities established the checkpoints in residential areas near the Turkish operation zones in coordination with the Iraqi side.

Neither the Iraqi nor the Kurdish side commented on Akturk's statement.