ERBIL , Kurdistan Region - Turkish foreign ministry on Tuesday claimed that the members of the Syria-based People’s Protection Units (YPG) were receiving training at the Arbat airport when it was hit the previous day. Three local counterterrorism fighters were killed in what was described as a drone attack by Kurdish and Iraqi authorities. Baghdad has blamed Ankara for the incident.
Three members of the Sulaimani-based Counter-Terrorism Group (CTG) were killed and three others were injured when a drone hit Arbat airport on Monday, according to the group. It did not explicitly point the finger at any parties but vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. Iraqi authorities blamed Turkey for the incident, claiming that the drone entered Iraq from the neighbouring country.
The Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement late Tuesday that “It is understood that the members of the PUK’s ‘Anti-Terrorist Group’ were conducting a training exercise together with PKK/YPG terrorists at the time of the explosion.”
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is an armed group struggling for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey but has been listed as a terrorist organization by Ankara. The YPG is the backbone of the US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Turkey regards the YPG as the Syrian offshoot of the PKK.
The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) is the second largest political party in the Kurdistan Region and controls Sulaimani and Halabja provinces.
The Turkish ministry did not claim responsibility for the attack but claimed that the alleged shared training at the airport “confirmed once again the accuracy of the measures we have taken regarding Sulaymaniyah, the people of which are almost taken hostage by the terrorist organization.”
The ministry also claimed that “This development is quite disturbing as it has clearly revealed the cooperation between PUK’s security apparatus and members of the terrorist organization.”
The CTG and the YPG have not denied security cooperation, openly stating that their cooperation is related to the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS).
The SDF has said several times that the CTG actively took part in some of its anti-ISIS operations inside Syria.
The CTG, which is unofficially tied to the PUK.
The Arbat attack has been locally and internationally condemned.
The UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) said “Attacks repeatedly violating Iraqi sovereignty must stop. Security concerns must be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy - not strikes.”
PUK leader Bafel Talabani labeled the attack as a “terrorist attack” and “a part of the conspiracy aimed at disturbing the peace and stability of the Kurdistan Region," while the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani called on the Iraqi federal government to scale up efforts to prevent the repetition of such “violations”.
US Ambassador to Iraq Alina Romanowski also condemned the attack, reaffirming Washington’s “support for respect of Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity - both are essential to Iraq’s stability and security.”
The Iraqi presidency said they intend to summon the Turkish ambassador to Baghdad over the Arbat incident.
Turkey has intensified its attacks against the alleged position of the PKK in the Kurdistan Region, especially in Sulaimani province. Some drone attacks caused civilian deaths.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan visited Iraq and the Kurdistan Region late last month. He met with Qubad Talabani, discussing a range of topics, including a Turkish flight ban on Sulaimani province due to the alleged “intensification” of PKK activity in Sulaimani.
The flight ban on Sulaimani International Airport by Turkey has been in place since April 3. It will remain in effect until January.
Fidan called on Baghdad and Erbil to recognize PKK as a terrorist organization but seemingly did not receive a positive response.
His ministry said in the Tuesday statement that Ankara expects both Iraqi and Kurdish governments to designate PKK and its affiliates as terrorist organizations.
Updated at 10:57 pm
