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Türkiye Seeks Tripartite Cooperation with Baghdad and Erbil Against PKK

Türkiye Seeks Tripartite Cooperation with Baghdad and Erbil Against PKK.
Türkiye Seeks Tripartite Cooperation with Baghdad and Erbil Against PKK.
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Türkiye Seeks Tripartite Cooperation with Baghdad and Erbil Against PKK

Türkiye Seeks Tripartite Cooperation with Baghdad and Erbil Against PKK.
Türkiye Seeks Tripartite Cooperation with Baghdad and Erbil Against PKK.

Türkiye is intensifying efforts to bolster intelligence and security cooperation with Iraq, aiming to tighten control over the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and its supporters in northern Iraq. The initiative involves the exploration of a tripartite cooperation mechanism between Ankara, Baghdad, and Erbil.
Head of Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) Ibrahim Kalin held two rounds of talks with officials in Baghdad and Erbil during two visits to Iraq in less than a week.
During his visit last week, Kalin met with Iraqi President Abdullatif Rashid, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani, Shiite and Sunni groups, and Turkmen representatives.
On Sunday, Kalin met with Iraqi Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) Chair Masoud Barzani, KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, Interior Minister Reber Ahmed, and local administrators, as well as Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITC) head Hasan Turan and ITC Kirkuk Deputy Ersat Salihi.
Cooperation against the PKK
The officials delved into pressing regional developments, fostering ties between Ankara, Baghdad, and Erbil and enhancing cooperation in the ongoing fight against terrorism. Turkish sources have indicated a shared recognition of the PKK as a common threat to both Türkiye and Iraq.
The Turkish Air Force carried out targeted airstrikes in northern Iraq and Syria, responding to two separate PKK attacks that claimed the lives of 12 Turkish soldiers on December 23 and an additional nine soldiers on January 12.
Ankara issued a warning regarding potential collaboration between the PKK and the Democratic Union Party (PYD), hinting at the contemplation of new measures to counteract such alliances.
Linking security to the economy
In recent strategic maneuvers, Türkiye has shifted its focus to interlinking economic and security cooperation with the pivotal water issue.
Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein and Defense Minister Thabet Al-Abbasi held talks with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defense Minister Yasar Guler, and Ibrahim Kalin on Dec. 19.
National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji, Head of the Popular Mobilization Forces Faleh Al-Fayyad, and the Minister of Interior of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, Rebar Ahmed, accompanied Hussein.
The meeting resulted in a roadmap to boost bilateral cooperation.
Discussions tackled water and security files and the resumption of oil exports from Iraq through Türkiye.
The two sides highlighted cooperation in the fight against terrorism and efforts to stop the activity of the PKK in northern Iraq.
Turkish military presence
Over the past five years, Türkiye has executed a series of military operations, collectively known as the "Claw-Lock" in northern Iraq. Anchored in a novel security concept, the operations aim at eradicating terrorism at its source.
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently declared that, by the upcoming spring, Türkiye will finalize the infrastructure for newly established bases in northern Iraq, rendering the region inaccessible to terrorists.

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Arab World

Sudan’s Ruling Council Reshuffles Cabinet amid Brutal Conflict

A damaged building in Omdurman, Sudan, 01 November 2024 (issued 04 November 2024). (EPA)
A damaged building in Omdurman, Sudan, 01 November 2024 (issued 04 November 2024). (EPA)
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Sudan’s Ruling Council Reshuffles Cabinet amid Brutal Conflict

A damaged building in Omdurman, Sudan, 01 November 2024 (issued 04 November 2024). (EPA)
A damaged building in Omdurman, Sudan, 01 November 2024 (issued 04 November 2024). (EPA)

Sudan's army leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, at war with paramilitaries, has announced a cabinet reshuffle that replaces four ministers including those for foreign affairs and the media.

The late Sunday announcement comes with the northeast African country gripped by the world's worst displacement crisis, threatened by famine and desperate for aid, according to the UN.

In a post on its official Facebook page, Sudan's ruling sovereignty council said Burhan had approved replacement of the ministers of foreign affairs, the media, religious affairs and trade.

The civil war that began in April 2023 pits Burhan's military against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries under the command of his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

Since then, the army-aligned Sudanese government has been operating from the eastern city of Port Sudan, which has largely remained shielded from the violence.

But the Sudanese state "is completely absent from the scene" in all sectors, economist Haitham Fathy told AFP earlier this year.

The council did not disclose reasons behind the reshuffle but it coincides with rising violence in al-Gezira, south of the capital Khartoum, and North Darfur in Sudan's far west bordering Chad.

On Friday the spokesman for United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said he condemned attacks by the RSF on Gezira, after the United States made a similar call over the violence against civilians.

Among the key government changes, Ambassador Ali Youssef al-Sharif, a retired diplomat who previously served as Sudan's ambassador to China and South Africa, was appointed foreign minister.

He replaces Hussein Awad Ali who had held the role for seven months.

Journalist and TV presenter Khalid Ali Aleisir, based in London, was named minister of culture and media.

The reshuffle also saw Omar Banfir assigned to the trade ministry and Omar Bakhit appointed to the ministry of religious affairs.

Over the past two weeks, the RSF increased attacks on civilians in Gezira following the army's announcement that an RSF commander had defected.

According to an AFP tally based on medical and activist sources, at least 200 people were killed in Gezira last month alone. The UN reports that the violence has forced around 120,000 people from their homes.

In total, Sudan hosts more than 11 million displaced people, while another 3.1 million are now sheltering beyond its borders, according to the International Organization for Migration.