Ankara on Tuesday hosted Masrour Barzani, prime minister of Iraq’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG). Barzani first met Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan before the two held a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan at the Presidential Complex.
Barzani’s visit comes at a time of a new phase in Türkiye’s fight against the PKK terrorist group, whose last remaining strongholds are located in an area controlled by the KRG in northern Iraq and northeastern Syria bordering Türkiye.
Türkiye often carries out counterterrorism operations in northern Iraq against the PKK and saw escalating support from the KRG in recent years, after past hostilities over perceived tolerance of the PKK in the region by previous administrations. Since last October, Türkiye has adopted a new stand in resolving terrorist threats. The terror-free initiative, as it is tentatively called, seeks a peaceful way to force the PKK to lay down arms. Ankara has allowed a PKK-linked political party to visit the group’s jailed leader, Abdullah Öcalan, and Öcalan pledged support that he would contribute to this new process.
Erdoğan’s main ally, Devlet Bahçeli, leader of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), initiated the process by urging the authorities to grant a temporary release for Öcalan in exchange for a call by Öcalan to terrorists to surrender their weapons. Ankara, however, has repeatedly expressed commitment to counterterrorism efforts, assuring the public that the terrorist group would not be allowed to thrive if it does not dissolve itself.
The KRG has expressed support for this new initiative. Masrour Barzani’s cousin Nechirvan Barzani, incumbent president of the KRG, said in October, “Those who seek to undermine the peace process in Türkiye should not be allowed.” Speaking at the Middle East Research Institute (MERI) in Irbil back then, Nechirvan Barzani said the PKK terrorist group also posed a significant problem for the KRG.
In a written statement, the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications said Erdoğan and Barzani discussed relations between Türkiye and the KRG, and regional issues. The directorate said Erdoğan conveyed to Barzani that Türkiye attached importance to the stability and security of Iraq in light of developments in neighboring Syria and exerted efforts that developments in Syria would not pave the way for more instability in the region. The president also highlighted that terrorist groups and their affiliates had no place in the future of Syria. The president also highlighted the need for the realization of projects that will bolster the region’s stability and prosperity, particularly the Development Road.
Erdoğan on Monday said Türkiye would not hesitate to take action against terrorists posing a threat to its national security. Noting that Türkiye has shown its firm commitment to its survival and security time and again, Erdoğan told a news conference after a Cabinet meeting that the Turkish military may strike terrorist targets “suddenly, one night.” The well-known verse from a classical Turkish song, “I can come suddenly one night,” is a slogan Erdoğan adopted for lightning counterterrorism operations against the PKK terrorist group and its Syrian offshoot, the YPG. He noted that pressure was mounting for the PKK/YPG terrorists.
The president said a new era has started after Bashar Assad was toppled by anti-regime forces in Syria.
He reiterated Türkiye’s support for a unified Syria, as he said Ankara’s main goal is to establish a “terror-free” Türkiye in the near future.
“We can not accept under any pretext that Syria be divided and if we notice the slightest risk, we will take the necessary measures,” Erdoğan said, adding that Türkiye “has the means” to take necessary action in this regard.
Türkiye says it trusts the new Syrian administration in the fight against the PKK/YPG but threatened military action if the terrorist group refuses to disband, with Erdoğan saying the terrorist group either “bury their arms” or themselves would “be buried.”
Türkiye renewed its counterterrorism campaign in the past decade after a brief lull. In Iraq, it launched the Claw Sword operation in 2022 to eliminate terrorists hiding in mountainous regions of northern Iraq. The offensive continues with occasional precision strikes and “retaliation” strikes against terrorists opening harassment fire or trying to infiltrate into Türkiye to carry out attacks. Similarly, the Turkish army regularly responds to attacks from Syria’s north, partly controlled by the PKK’s Syria wing, the YPG. In 2017, it launched Operation Euphrates Shield in coordination with the Syrian opposition forces in Syria’s north. It cleared out PKK terrorists in a region between Afrin and Manbij, further driving the PKK/YPG to Syria’s northeast.
One year later, it conducted Operation Olive Branch in another push against the terrorist group. Finally, in 2019, Operation Peace Spring took place to create a “safe zone” near the Turkish-Syrian border where terrorists often target Turkish towns on the other side of the border.
Increased production of unmanned aerial vehicles and bolstered capacity of a professional army helped Türkiye to achieve its counterterrorism targets. At the same time, the PKK/YPG in Syria enjoys support from the U.S. in the form of training and military equipment.