Image Credits - The Washington Institute
Turkey is increasingly collaborating with Iraq to combat the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party), with a focus on enhancing field operations and counter-terrorism efforts. Recent developments signal a deeper partnership between the two nations in addressing the threat posed by the PKK, a group that has been responsible for numerous casualties over decades of conflict.
The Turkish Defense Ministry has expressed satisfaction with Iraq’s recent measures against the PKK but has called for further actions to fully recognize the group as a terrorist organization. “Coordinated efforts with the Iraqi government continue in line with decisions taken during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s last visit to Iraq,” a Defense Ministry source said to Daily Sabah. Baghdad’s recent actions include banning the PKK and directing all state institutions to classify it as a prohibited entity. Additionally, Iraq established two military bases in the Zakho region, which borders southern Türkiye.
Türkiye welcomes these developments, especially Iraq’s move to dissolve three political parties linked to the PKK. The Yazidi Freedom and Democracy Party, the Democratic Struggle Front, and the Tavgari Azadi Party were dissolved by the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council earlier this week due to their connections with the PKK. The council also ordered the confiscation of these parties’ assets, although the decision is open to appeal.
The PKK, which has claimed over 40,000 lives since its campaign of violence began in the 1980s, has increasingly shifted its operations to northern Iraq, including a stronghold in the Qandil Mountains. This region, situated about 40 kilometres southeast of the Turkish border, remains a critical target for Turkish operations aimed at eliminating the group’s presence.
In response to heightened PKK activity, including recent attacks and arson in areas controlled by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), Türkiye has intensified its cross-border operations. The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) have ramped up strikes in the “terror corridor,” focusing on regions like Gara and Metina, where the PKK has been active. The TSK has reported significant progress, with 1,652 PKK members eliminated in northern Iraq and Syria this year alone, including 64 in the past week.
Türkiye’s Defense Minister Yaşar Güler indicated that the ongoing Operation Claw-Lock, launched in April 2022, is expected to be concluded before winter. This operation aims to sever the PKK’s links between the Qandil Mountains and Syria and establish a security corridor extending 30–40 kilometres along the Iraqi and Syrian borders.