The Turkish Grand National Assembly (TBMM) has passed a resolution supporting further cross-border military operations against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The motion, entitled “Resolution on the Turkish Grand National Assembly’s Uncompromising Support for the Fight against Terrorism”, was passed by an overwhelming majority on Tuesday after briefings by Defence Minister Yaşar Güler and Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), which had previously refrained from signing a joint statement with the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) following the reported deaths of 12 Turkish soldiers in violent clashes with Kurdish militants in Iraq’s Kurdistan region, supported the resolution with a “yes” vote.
The pro-Kurdish People’s Equality and Democracy Party (DEM) voted against the resolution.
Prior to the adoption of the resolution, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan vowed on Tuesday to continue military operations in Syria and Iraq after his first cabinet meeting of the year.
The ongoing operation in northern Iraq, known as Operation Claw Lock, has been underway since April 2022. In October 2023, the Turkish parliament passed a bill extending the authorisation for cross-border operations into Iraq and Syria for another two years.
Ankara has maintained numerous military bases in Iraqi Kurdistan over the past 25 years in its long-running conflict with the PKK.
