Journalist Ferda Çetin spoke to Hawar News about Turkey’s aggressive policy in Iraqi Kurdistan, post-election developments in the United States, and the alliance between Turkey and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
Çetin claimed that the primary goal of the Biden administration regarding Iraq was to create a stable coalition that will protect the USA’s interests there. “The USA will continue its ‘war of siege’ against Iran in the Middle East”, he said. “Therefore, it supports the Iraqi central government, the Turkish state, and the KDP administration by encouraging them to join a ‘coalition’ within Iraq. Obama’s and Trump’s administrations followed this policy and Biden will not diverge from this path”.
Contradictions in the coalition against the PKK
Regarding the alliance of the KDP, Iraq and Turkey on the Kurdish issue and the Sinjar agreement, Çetin said, “The reality in the region is complicated”. He underlined that the government of Iraqi Kurdistan, as well as its parliament, political parties, and its people, oppose the alliance of the KDP with the Turkish and Iraqi governments against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
US-Turkey relations might change
He also spoke about the the relations of the US and Turkey during the Biden administration. “Trump’s tolerance of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will end with the Biden administration. The S-400 issue, relations between Turkey and Russia, relations between Turkey with the European Union, and also the ongoing negotiations among the parties will also be a problem”.
US politics might be affected by other factors in the Middle East, however. “The reactions of the people of Kurdistan, Iraq, the Baghdad government and the Islamic Union Organisation will also affect the US administration, especially regarding the occupation of Turkey in Iraq and Syria”, he said.
‘They need the approval of Biden’
“The Kurdish people and parties in the region are all refusing the KDP-Turkey alliance and calling for a dialogue between the KDP and the PKK”, said Çetin. “At this point, the KDP has become isolated. Moreover, the Biden administration’s approval is required for the execution of Turkey and the KDP’s Sinjar agreement plans”.
‘The KDP is guilty of betrayal’
Çetin criticised the KDP, saying, “Turkey is isolated and its only alliances are Qatar, Pakistan, and Azerbaijan. However, by supporting Turkey’s politics in Iraqi Kurdistan and allowing Turkey to build 40 military bases, the KDP is guilty of betrayal”.
