The recent visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region has sparked accusations from the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK) that the visit was an attempt to draw Iraq into Turkey’s strategic interests while disregarding the rights of the Kurdish people.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Executive Council of the KNK emphasised that of the four states that hold influence over Kurdistan, Iraq is the only one that constitutionally acknowledges the existence and rights of the Kurdish population. The statement further alleged that Turkey’s actions seem to be pushing for a “return to the times of the Saddam regime”.
In a direct call to the Iraqi government, the KNK urged a halt in cooperation with Turkey and demanded a strong stance against Turkey’s military actions.
“The Turkish state’s intention is clearly aimed at undermining the interests of the Kurdish people,” the statement declared, recalling Turkey’s hostile stance during the Kurdistan Region independence referendum six years ago.
The KNK’s criticism extended to the autonomous region’s ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), accusing it not only of failing to take a decisive stand against Turkey’s attacks, but of actually facilitating them through its military activities.
The KNK described the way Fidan was received in Erbil (Hewlêr) as “embarrassing” and said that many Kurdish fighters and leaders had been killed by Turkey’s intelligence service, which Fidan headed before becoming foreign minister. The Congress also expressed scepticism towards the gratitude expressed by Fidan towards the region’s government, cautioning that such gratitude should prompt careful consideration.
The organisation appealed to the KDP, urging it to abandon its alignment with the Turkish state and adopt a more nationalistic approach.
