Adil Manii, a member of the State of Law Coalition, highlighted Iraq’s indebtedness to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) for its instrumental role in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), calling for official recognition and relations.
“The PKK’s honourable stance in the battle against ISIS deserves respect. We cannot deny this contribution,” Manii stated in an exclusive interview with Rojnews on Sunday, highlighting the moral obligation of the Iraqi government and its people towards the PKK.
Manii’s remarks come amidst Turkish efforts to engage Iraq in combat against the PKK, urging that engagements with Turkey do not equate to accepting demands to blacklist the PKK. Instead, Manii suggests, Iraq should formally establish relations with the PKK, rejecting the notion that the group’s listing as a terrorist organisation is a straightforward or trivial matter.
He further criticised the undermining of Iraqi sovereignty through the construction of Turkish military bases, questioning their permanency and the stated rationale since the PKK is not in areas such as Bashika.
“The construction of military bases, under the pretext of PKK presence, negates the claim of a temporary intervention by Turkey and indicates a project with US backing that infringes upon Iraq’s sovereignty,” Manii elaborated, challenging the legitimacy and intentions behind Turkish military actions in Iraq.
