Turkey’s ongoing military operations in Iraqi Kurdistan are raising concerns over the establishment of a ‘Turkish region’ in the area. A recent video from Erbil (Hewlêr), the capital of Iraq’s autonomous Kurdistan region, shows Turkish flags adorning Erbil International Airport, symbolising Turkey’s growing influence in the region.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani in Baghdad earlier this year, and met with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) officials in Erbil (Hewlêr) in April. KRG officially welcomed Erdoğan with Turkish flags flying prominently in the streets. The gesture caused a significant backlash among the local Kurdish population.
One participant in the conversation on X commented: ‘Barzani welcomes Erdogan’s visit to Iraq by projecting the Turkish state flag on the citadel of Erbil’. Discussing the betrayal felt by the Kurdish population towards the Erbil government, she continued: “Under this flag, the Kurds have experienced all the effects of Turkey’s annihilationist policies, including massacres, culturecide, lingucide, forced displacement, denial of existence and so on. It is so disgusting.”
This unrest in Iraq mirrors discontent with Turkish flags in Syria. In response to attacks on Syrian migrants in Turkey, Turkish flags have been pulled down and armoured vehicles stoned in Turkish-occupied areas of Syria.
The display of Turkish flags in Erbil (Hewlêr), and the reaction it has provoked, highlights the deep-seated tensions surrounding Turkey’s involvement in the region.
