Beside the ongoing conflict in Syria, which has intensified the tension between Turkey and Iraq, the Turkish Army always cites the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) as a threat to its national security and targets its fighters in Iraqi territory. However, the continuous targeting of the Kurdish region has not eliminated the threat of the PKK and has even motivated the militant group to increase its operations against the Turkish government.
Following the recent attacks, the central government in Baghdad asked the parliament to revoke all the agreements allowing Turkey to operate some military bases in northern Iraq. Since the 1990s, Turkey has maintained several military bases in the northern Iraqi province of Dohuk, one of the three provinces that make up the Kurdistan region. These bases could be used by Turkey against neighboring Syria if the tension between the two countries boils over, and Iraq does not want to be part of such a scenario.
Syria has also threatened to provide weapons to the Kurds fighting against Turkey, especially if Ankara continues to fund and arm the rebels in Syria. This would be a serious threat to the stability of the region and could create serious security problems in the future.
The KRG is trying to reduce the tension in the region through adopting a moderate position. However, the KRG is part of Iraq, and it is expected to act within the framework of the Iraqi Constitution. Thus, it has asked the Iraqi government to revoke all military agreements with Turkey that were signed during the Saddam Hussein era, and it will continue to adhere to the policies and decisions made in Baghdad when it comes to the violation of Iraq’s territorial integrity.
Nazim Dabbagh is the KRG representative in Tehran.
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MNA
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