Turkey Has Iraq’s Permission to Attack PKK in Kurdistan: KRG Spokesperson
The Iraqi government has allowed the Turkish army to conduct military attacks deep into the Kurdistan Region territories against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), said Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) spokesperson.
Turkey has recently stepped up its military campaign against the PKK fighters in Qandil and other border areas of Kurdistan Region. The ground and aerial operations have, however, resulted in dozens of civilian casualties and destruction of civilian properties.
KRG Spokesperson Safin Dizayi said Turkey enjoys an agreement with the Iraqi federal government to cross the border and carry out the attacks, while the PKK presence in the Kurdistan Region attracts continued military actions to risk civilian lives.
Dizayi explained that during the Iran-Iraq War in 1980s, the then Iraqi government agreed to allow the Turkish troops to enter Kurdistan Region territories for 20 kilometers and strike the PKK positions. “Therefore, the PKK is the reason for foreign interventions in Kurdistan Region… They should have chosen negotiation and other peaceful means to address their disputes,” Dizayi said.
“There is no logic in having a sovereign country and allow other armed groups to use your territories to attack your neighbors, and then return and report it on their affiliated media… No countries would accept that.”
The KRG spokesperson noted that the PKK policies and its military activities in Kurdistan Region are indeed harming the stability of the region, and threatening the interests and achievements of the people of Kurdistan.
Asked about the newly established PKK-affiliated group of “Southern Kurdistan Protection Forces”, Dizayi said Kurdistan Region has its own government, an elected parliament, and it is not clear why was the group formed, to “protect” Kurdistan Region from who and against what.
“Kurdistan Region has its own government and parliament, and they are more democratic than what the PKK is calling for. Remember that those who abandon the PKK are being killed by the group itself; so how can they talk about democracy?” Source