Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan addressed parliament about Turkey’s recent military campaigns in the Kurdistan Region and Syria, which have escalated in recent days following a PKK attack which killed nine Turkish soldiers in the mountainous areas of the Region on Friday.
Fidan accused the PUK of having “opened up space in Sulaimani and its surroundings” to the PKK, which allowed the Kurdish group to “strengthen [its presence] in the area.”
Ankara has repeatedly accused PUK of having close ties to the PKK and has struck several targets in Sulaimani under this pretext. The Sulaimani-based party has rejected such claims.
“Despite our sanctions on Sulaimani, if the PUK does not change its supportive stance towards the PKK, we will not hesitate to take further measures,” Fidan said, citing recent incidents that took place in the Region as evidence of the “dimensions of the relations between the PUK and the PKK.”
In September, a drone strike targeted Arbat airport, 27 kilometers southeast of Sulaimani, killing three members of the PUK-affiliated Counter-Terrorism Group (CTG), and injuring three others. Turkey indirectly claimed responsibility for the attack by stating that PUK’s CTG was conducting a training exercise with YPG fighters at the time of the attack.
In March, a helicopter carrying SDF fighters to Sulaimani crashed in the Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province, claiming the lives of nine fighters. SDF later said in a statement that the crash was due to bad weather. Turkey considers the incident proof of PUK-PKK relations.
Ankara claims its attacks are carried out within the framework of self-defense and in accordance with international law. Turkish forces have increased their bombardment in the Kurdistan Region as well as in northeastern Syria (Rojava) where it has targeted key civilian infrastructure, and Fidan warned these would continue.
No distinction between Syria, Iraq
The foreign minister added that Ankara has “removed the distinction” between Iraq and Syria, warning it would target Kurdish groups in both countries in retaliation to an attack on Turkey.
“No matter where the attack comes from, we target the groups in both areas at the same time,” Fidan warned.
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler, who accompanied Fidan to the Turkish parliament, told Turkish lawmakers that Turkey has established a “safety line approximately 15 to 30 kilometers deep” into the Kurdistan Region, 300 kilometers along the Region’s border with Turkey.
Fidan said that Ankara did not face any objection from Iraqi officials regarding the recent operation within the borders of the Kurdistan Region, stressing that “the government of [Mohammed Shia’] al-Sudani has shown a more constructive stance” regarding what he described as “fighting terrorism.”
In December, a high-level Iraqi delegation headed by Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein visited Ankara and met with Turkish officials to discuss “several topics including strengthening security and intelligence cooperation.”
Turkey regularly bombards suspected PKK positions in the Kurdistan Region’s mountainous areas through air and drone strikes.
