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.
TT

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.



Israel Says it Eliminated Commander in Hezbollah's Radwan Force

People take part in the funeral procession of Ibrahim Aqil, the head of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force, in Beirut's southern suburbs on September 22, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
People take part in the funeral procession of Ibrahim Aqil, the head of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force, in Beirut's southern suburbs on September 22, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
TT

Israel Says it Eliminated Commander in Hezbollah's Radwan Force

People take part in the funeral procession of Ibrahim Aqil, the head of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force, in Beirut's southern suburbs on September 22, 2024. (Photo by AFP)
People take part in the funeral procession of Ibrahim Aqil, the head of Hezbollah's elite Radwan Force, in Beirut's southern suburbs on September 22, 2024. (Photo by AFP)

The Israeli military eliminated the commander in the Hezbollah Radwan force's anti-tank missile unit Riad Rida Ghazzawi in the al-Sultaniyah village in southern Lebanon, it said in a statement on Monday.
Late in September, Israel killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah with an air strike in Beirut’s southern suburbs, in the biggest blow to Hezbollah in decades.
Despite growing pressure from the United States and others in the international community for a cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon, intensified Israeli strikes against the Hezbollah militant group are expanding beyond Lebanon’s border areas. Israel is also fighting a seemingly endless war against Hamas in northern Gaza.
Since the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah erupted last year, at least 2,900 people have been killed and more than 13,150 wounded in Lebanon, the Health Ministry reports. Health authorities say that a quarter of those killed were women and children.