Turkiye's Top Diplomat in Baghdad for High-Level Talks Ahead of Potential Offensive

Turkiyes top diplomat held high-level meetings in Baghdad, discussing counter-terrorism, security, and military cooperation with Iraq, ahead of President Erdogans visit and a potential Turkish offensive against the PKK.

Turkiye's top diplomat, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, arrived in Baghdad on Thursday for high-level meetings with his Iraqi counterpart, Fuad Hussein. The discussions focused on counter-terrorism, security, and military cooperation, according to a statement carried by the state-run Iraqi News Agency.

Seeking Cooperation Against the PKK

Turkiye has been seeking greater cooperation from Baghdad in its fight against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a Kurdish separatist group that has waged an insurgency against Turkiye since the 1980s. While the PKK is not designated as a terrorist organization in Iraq, it is banned from launching operations against Turkiye from Iraqi territory. However, the group maintains a foothold in northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region, where the central Iraqi government has limited influence.

Joint Statement Highlights PKK as Security Threat

A joint statement issued after the meetings emphasized that both Turkiye and Iraq view the PKK as a security threat. The statement stressed that the PKK's presence in Iraq violates the Iraqi constitution, and consultations were held on necessary measures to address the organization.

Erdogan's Expected Visit and Qualitative Shift in Relations

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to visit Iraq in April, following local elections in Turkiye and the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. The joint statement expressed hopes that the visit will mark a qualitative shift in relations between the two neighboring countries.

Turkish Strikes and Concerns Over Sovereignty

Turkiye has frequently launched strikes against targets in Syria and Iraq that it believes are affiliated with the PKK. These strikes have escalated in recent months after PKK attacks on Turkish military bases in northern Iraq resulted in the deaths of 21 soldiers. Local Kurdish authorities in northeast Syria have reported that many of the Turkish strikes have targeted civilian infrastructure, disrupting electricity and water supplies in areas held by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

Iraq's Approach to the PKK and Iranian Dissidents

Qassim al-Araji, the adviser for national security affairs to Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, indicated in a televised interview that Iraq may adopt a similar approach to the PKK as it did with Iranian Kurdish dissident groups based in northern Iraq. Last summer, Iran and Iraq reached an agreement to disarm the dissident groups and relocate their members from military bases to displacement camps, easing tensions between the two countries.

Turkiye's top diplomat's visit to Baghdad underscores the country's efforts to secure greater cooperation from Iraq in combating the PKK. As President Erdogan prepares for his upcoming visit to Iraq, both countries aim to strengthen their relations and address shared security concerns.