عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Türkiye: Iran’s Behavior Hinders Counterterrorism Efforts

Members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (Reuters)
Members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (Reuters)
TT
TT

Türkiye: Iran’s Behavior Hinders Counterterrorism Efforts

Members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (Reuters)
Members of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (Reuters)

Türkiye voiced discontent with Iran’s treatment of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), designated as a terrorist group by Ankara. Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler, in a televised interview Thursday night, expressed frustration, rebuking Iran’s stance as unfriendly.
According to Guler, Türkiye had informed Iranian counterparts of PKK movements and surveillance efforts, but Iranians denied finding anyone, which the defense minister found concerning.
Türkiye has vowed to keep up its attacks on the party in northern Iraq, aiming to destroy PKK hideouts. Guler stated Türkiye has changed its strategy, focusing on targeting and destroying terrorists in their hideouts.
Guler highlighted the Kurdistan Workers' Party's long-standing presence in northern Iraq, where it carries out terrorist activities spanning across Iraq, Syria, and Iran.
Turkish forces have been stationed in northern Iraq for about six years, leading to the evacuation of many PKK former strongholds. However, Guler mentioned that members of the party still move freely in Sulaymaniyah in the Kurdistan Region.
Regarding Turkish military operations in northern Iraq under Operation “Claw-Lock,” the Turkish Defense Minister welcomed the Iraqi officials’ shift in attitude towards the PKK.
Guler accused the PKK of staging actions that have consequently displaced 800 villages in Iraq, leaving civilians in distress, and highlighted that Iraq now considers the party a banned organization.
In related news, a columnist from the Turkish government-aligned “Hurriyet” newspaper discussed Iranian-American efforts to disrupt the growing ties between Ankara and Baghdad.
The columnist mentioned that there’s significant activity on the borders, and soon there might be a major operation in Iraq against the PKK.
However, Iraq’s decision-making power is limited, with heavy influence from the US and Iran, the columnist argued, accusing Tehran and Washington of taking steps to undermine the Turkish-Iraqi relationship.
The Shia-Sunni divide in Iraq shapes the balance of power, while ethnic balance is influenced by Arab, Kurdish, and Turkmen presence, they added.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Syrian Police Impose Curfew in Homs after Unrest

Syrian children play on a damaged tank in Homs, on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Syrian children play on a damaged tank in Homs, on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
TT
TT

Syrian Police Impose Curfew in Homs after Unrest

Syrian children play on a damaged tank in Homs, on December 20, 2024. (AFP)
Syrian children play on a damaged tank in Homs, on December 20, 2024. (AFP)

Syrian police have imposed an overnight curfew in the city of Homs, state media reported, after unrest there linked to demonstrations that residents said were led by members of the minority Alawite and Shiite communities.

Reuters could not immediately confirm the demands of the demonstrators nor the degree of disturbance that took place.

Some residents said the demonstrations were linked to pressure and violence in recent days aimed at members of the Alawite minority, a sect long seen as loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled by opposition fighters on Dec. 8.

Spokespeople for Syria’s new ruling administration led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) group, a former al-Qaeda affiliate, did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the curfew.

State media said the curfew was being imposed for one night, from 6pm (1500 GMT) local time until 8am on Thursday morning.

The country's new leaders have repeatedly vowed to protect minority religious groups.

Small demonstrations also took place in other areas on or near Syria’s coast, where most of the country’s Alawite minority live, including in the city of Tartous.

The demonstrations took place around the time an undated video was circulated on social networks showing a fire inside an Alawite shrine in the city of Aleppo, with armed men walking around inside and posing near human bodies.

The interior ministry said on its official Telegram account that the video dated back to the opposition offensive on Aleppo in late November and the violence was carried out by unknown groups, adding that whoever was circulating the video now appeared to be seeking to incite sectarian strife.

The ministry also said that some members of the former regime had attacked interior ministry forces in Syria’s coastal area on Wednesday, leaving a number of dead and wounded.