Turkey and Iraq are currently in talks regarding providing technical support to Baghdad for enhancing border security to counter the movements of outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants in the region. A Turkish defense ministry official confirmed these discussions on Thursday, following Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan’s recent visits to Baghdad and Erbil. During these visits, Ankara and Baghdad signed agreements covering security, trade, energy, and defense cooperation.
The Turkish official mentioned that Turkey has expressed readiness to assist Iraq in implementing border security systems. Additionally, an Iraqi delegation has visited Turkey to assess the border security systems offered by Turkey, and ongoing discussions are focusing on security cooperation.
During a joint press conference with President Erdogan, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani highlighted the cooperation between the two countries to strengthen border security, although he did not specifically mention the PKK in his statements.
The PKK, which initiated armed conflict against the Turkish state in 1984, is considered a terrorist organization by Ankara and its Western allies. Turkey has undertaken multiple cross-border operations targeting PKK militants in northern Iraq since 2019.
