The Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK) warned the Iraqi government against supporting Turkey’s expansionist policies in a statement issued on Saturday.
The KCK, an umbrella organisation that encompasses various Kurdish political and militant groups including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), urged the Iraqi government not to align with Turkey’s “dirty policies” following a recent security meeting between Turkish and Iraqi officials in Ankara. The KCK’s statement highlights concerns about Turkey’s expansionist ambitions in the region and its impact on Iraq’s sovereignty.
Representatives from Turkey and Iraq, along with the interior minister of that country’s Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), discussed regional security issues at the fourth meeting of the “high-level security initiative,” held in Ankara. But the KCK criticised the outcome of the meeting, particularly statements made by Iraq’s foreign affairs minister Fuad Hussein, which implied that the PKK posed a threat to the security of Iraq.
The KCK rejected this characterisation, emphasising that the PKK has never acted against Iraqi law and has always respected the country’s sovereignty. The organisation reminded the Iraqi government of the PKK’s significant role in fighting ISIS and its contributions to the security and stability of the region, particularly in northern Iraq. They aso questioned why the Iraqi government should now view the PKK as a threat, suggesting that Turkey’s influence is behind this shift.
The KCK accused Turkey of being the true destabilising force in the region, pointing to its military incursions into Iraqi territory, environmental destruction, and efforts to control and displace local populations. The statement criticised the Iraqi government for its perceived inaction and failure to protect its sovereignty against Turkish expansionism.
The KCK called on the Iraqi government to reconsider its stance and prioritise the interests of the Iraqi people over alignment with what it called Turkey’s “neo-Ottomanist” ambitions. The organisation warned that continued cooperation with Turkey could make Iraq complicit in Turkey’s broader strategy to create chaos and maintain influence in the Middle East.
