Cemil Bayık, co-chair of the Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), criticised the Turkey-Iraq security agreement, cautioning Iraq against joining Turkey’s anti-Kurd efforts which could legitimise Turkish military actions, perpetuate its occupation, and damage Iraq’s sovereignty.
Bayık addressed the deepening crisis in Turkey-Iraq relations and the stance of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), underlining the anticipated intensification of Turkish state attacks in the region, particularly through a security pact with Iraq aimed at the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Bayık strongly advised the Iraqi government to resist Turkey’s attempts to coerce it into the conflict, stating, “The genocidal Turkish state wants to force Iraq into this dirty game. If Iraq succumbs, Turkish military aggressions will be legitimised, striking a severe blow to Iraq’s honour and dignity.” He emphasised that the PKK has never harmed Iraq’s interests, always pursuing policies of allegiance and mutual benefit.
Highlighting the KDP’s actions, Bayık condemned their dangerous liaison with Turkey, accusing the party of pressuring the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) to join the fight against the PKK. “The KDP acts as if it has been assigned a special role in this war, continuously offering Turkey advice on how to bend Iraq to its will and wage war against the PKK,” he noted.
Moreover, Bayık shed light on the KDP’s internal policies, which he claimed are damaging the fabric of Kurdish society in Iraq. “The KDP’s alignment with Turkey’s aggressive policies is well-known among the Kurdish people,” Bayık asserted, urging the KDP to abandon its destructive path and to cease using Iraqi state resources against the PKK.
KCK co-chair Cemil Bayık warns of escalating Turkish attacks and a troubling security pact between Turkey and Iraq.
Cemil Bayık of KCK highlights the KDP’s problematic role in Turkey-Iraq relations, urging Iraq not to fall into Turkey’s strategic traps.
“Iraq must not become complicit in Turkey’s war against the PKK,” states KCK’s Cemil Bayık in a detailed critique of regional dynamics.