SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Turkish defense minister Hulusi Akar said Turkey plans to eliminate threats by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), according to Daily Sabah.
Daily Sabah cited Akar who visited Baghdad and Erbil on Monday and Tuesday as saying that his country’s aim was to eradicate the PKK threat with a spirit of unity and solidarity.
The Turkish minister met with his Iraqi counterpart Juma Inad, President Barham Salih and Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi during his one-day visit to Baghdad.
During his to Erbil, he met with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani.
“Our struggle is entirely against the terrorist organization. We must strengthen our cooperation and take a decisive stand against the terrorist organization PKK,” Daily Sabah quoted Akar as saying on Tuesday.
In Baghdad, Akar and Kadhimi agreed on the importance of addressing “terrorist threats” along their shared border, the Iraqi PM office said on Monday.
They also agreed that stability in the border areas “would open the doors for more cooperation between the two countries,” the statement said.
“We can overcome the challenges in our region together … We can make our region a center of peace and security,” Akar said following his meeting with his Iraqi counterpart in Baghdad, according to Daily Sabah.
“We respect Iraq’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, well-being and welfare. Iraq’s political unity is a must for us. As we have always said, our only aim is to protect our people and our borders, live in peace and welfare within the limits of those borders while defending our rights and interests,” he added.
“Cooperation and coordination against the PKK terrorist group play a very important role. We are ready for every possible coordination with Iraq.”
Turkey has conducted numerous ground and aerial cross-border offensives into neighboring northern Iraq to attack PKK fighters, who maintains bases in the region.
In Erbil, PM Barzani and Akar had discussed the implementation of an agreement between Erbil and Baghdad to normalize the governance and security situation in Sinjar, according to a statement released by the KRG.
