Iraqi border guards, escorted by armoured vehicles, were deployed on Thursday near the Turkish border in the Amadiya (Amediyê) district of Iraqi Kurdistan’s Duhok province as part of efforts to establish military bases in the area, which has been one of the focal points of geopolitical tensions.
The Iraqi Interior Ministry said in a statement that the deployment was part of a wider effort to strengthen border security. “Outposts equipped with modern technologies are being built as part of the efforts of the Ministry of Interior, represented by the border forces [being deployed], to effectively control the borders, monitor suspicious cases and confront outlaws,” the statement said.
The move comes amid a flurry of intense diplomatic activity involving Turkish government officials in both Baghdad and Erbil (Hewlêr) in recent weeks.
The background to this development is complex and fraught with regional tensions. In particular, the meeting in Ankara earlier this week between Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and the leader of the Iranian-backed Iraqi paramilitary group Hashd al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation Forces – PMF) has sparked widespread speculation.
Although details of their discussions remain unknown, the meeting is significant in light of the PMF’s earlier threats to retaliate against Turkish military operations in northern Iraq following a deadly Turkish bombing of a resort in Duhok province that killed and injured several Arab tourists in 2022.
Turkey’s military actions in the region, particularly its frequent bombings in the Kurdistan region under the pretext of targeting Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants, have escalated tensions. Turkey’s continued attacks have resulted in civilian casualties in the region, a deterioration in relations and heightened security concerns in the area.
Recent diplomatic activity following Turkey’s significant military losses in its operations against the PKK in Iraqi Kurdistan has fuelled speculation about Turkey’s intentions and possible preparations for a new military offensive against the PKK guerrillas.
Observers, including Zeyneb Murad, co-chair of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK), have pointed to Turkey’s renewed diplomatic efforts with both the Iraqi central government and the Kurdish regional government as indicative of a strategy to forge new alliances for a concerted military campaign against the PKK.
Jabar Yawar, a former secretary of the Ministry of Peshmerga in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), also commented on Turkey’s long-standing military presence in the region. According to Yawar, Turkey is keen to mobilise both Iraq and the Kurdistan Region to join forces against PKK forces entrenched in various areas, reflecting an ongoing commitment to its 25-year conflict with the PKK.
The deployment of Iraqi forces is likely to exacerbate tensions in the region, which have been simmering for some time, given the lack of clarity surrounding the situation.
