Türkiye applauds Iraqi action against terrorist group PKK

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has applauded the Iraqi government's recent efforts against the PKK terrorist group, which plots cross-border attacks in Türkiye from its hideouts in northern Iraq.

Erdogan expressed Ankara's satisfaction with recent "positive steps," including the group's declaration as an illegal organisation, as he hosted Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Istanbul on Friday.

The leaders' discussions covered bilateral relations, along with regional and global issues, according to Türkiye's Communications Directorate.

Erdogan emphasised that terrorist groups pose significant security threats to both Türkiye and Iraq, highlighting that combating all forms of terrorism, without exception, would strengthen peace and stability in both countries.

He added that developing relations and evaluating cooperation opportunities, particularly the Development Road Project, will have significant benefits for both countries, which share deep-rooted historical and cultural ties.

The Turkish president also decried the growing Israeli aggression in the region, calling it a threat to both regional and global peace, and stressed the need for solidarity, particularly among regional countries, to counter this threat.

Joint security coordination

This August, the two countries signed what Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called a "historic" agreement on security, military and counterterrorism cooperation.

The memorandum, the first of its kind in the history of Türkiye and Iraq, marked a significant step in bilateral relations.

The two countries are working to establish a joint security coordination centre in Baghdad and a joint training and cooperation centre in Bashika, which will facilitate cooperation in the fight against terrorism — especially the PKK.

The group is based in northern Iraq, near the Turkish border, in areas under the Kurdish Regional Government.

In its more than 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the US and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children and infants.