Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threatened the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) with tougher measures if it continues to support groups Turkey considers terrorists, such as “PKK, YPG, PYD”, during a Tuesday press conference on his meetings with Baghdad and Erbil (Hewler) officials the previous day. His comments came as a response to questions on recent Turkey-PUK tensions.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Deputy Prime Minister Qubad Talabani, a member of the PUK, had requested, during Monday’s meeting, for the Turkish President to lift the flight ban on Sulaymaniyah Airport.
The flight restriction has been in place since a helicopter crash last year which revealed anti-terror cooperation between the PUK and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The crash resulted in the death of an anti-terror unit commander from the SDF, which Turkey considers a terrorist group, although Erdoğan omitted this in his latest comments.
“I participated in the meeting of the Kurdistan Regional Government and the Turkish President and his accompanying delegation. During the meeting, I asked President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to review the decision to close Turkish airspace to Sulaymaniyah International Airport,” wrote Qubad Talabani in a Facebook post on Tuesday morning.
Erdoğan, answering the press questions on Tuesday, said, “Regarding the negative attitudes of Sulaymaniyah, we have warned several times and they told us that we see the elements that are forming in that area differently,” he said.
Furthermore, Erdoğan praised the cooperation of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP)-led KRG and compared it to the PUK:
“With the government of Erbil (Hewler), in terms of counterterrorism, we have recorded progress toward a good direction. However, Sulaymaniyah, that is, the PUK, despite all our warnings, unfortunately, continues to support the terrorist organisations PKK, YPG, PYD [Kurdistan Workers’ Party, Syria’s Kurdish-led People’s Protection Units and the Democratic Union Party].
“We discussed this issue in our meeting and warned them. Let no one expect a different stance. We must react appropriately. We do not tolerate this matter passing by. We will take whatever steps are necessary now and in the future.
“We may be forgiving in many things, but when it comes to national security and our survival, our doors of forgiveness are closed in every way. Whatever is necessary, we do it. If their goal is to antagonise us, we also have measures and reactions for that, and we will not hesitate to escalate.”
In direct response to Erdoğan’s threats, PUK leader Bafel Talabani on Wednesday nominated late SDF Commander Shervan Kobani, also known as Heval Abdo, who died in the aforementioned crash, for a posthumous award. This proposal came during an awards ceremony in which Talabani emphasised the significance of honouring Kurdish martyrs and the Kurdish struggle.
“Martyr Comrade Abdo is a significant martyr of Kurdistan and deserves recognition through this award,” said Talabani. He further added a message of solidarity towards Kurds in Syria and all who fight for an honourable Kurdistan, reinforcing the PUK’s stance in the face of Turkish pressures.
“Nevertheless, this message is directed against our rivals and those collaborating with them, which we tell them ‘We are Kurds and we will always be Kurds,'” he said, potentially suggesting collaboration between KDP and Turkey.
Shervan Kobani, commander of the SDF’s anti-terrorism forces, died on 15 March 2023, when the two helicopters carrying members of an anti-terrorism unit (YAT) crashed due to bad weather conditions en route to the city of Sulaymaniyah. Nine fighters were killed in total.
Commander Kobani was recognised for his leadership in the SDF’s efforts against ISIS and other security operations in North and East Syria. Kobani and his team were instrumental in numerous military campaigns against ISIS, contributing significantly to operations that targeted the leadership of ISIS in collaboration with international coalition forces.
These events indicate a worsening of relations between Turkey and the PUK, with the PUK remaining defiant in the face of Turkish threats and the Turkey-Sulaymaniyah air travel ban staying firmly in place.
