A high-level delegation including Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yaşar Güler and National Intelligence Organisation (MIT) chief İbrahim Kalın arrived in Baghdad for cooperation talks with Iraqi officials, underlining Turkey’s intention to launch a new offensive against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) within Iraqi borders.
The visit is part of Turkey’s extensive diplomatic efforts to gain support and coordinate with local and international actors ahead of a planned cross-border military operation in northern Iraq.
Over the past three months, Turkish political and military officials have held numerous discussions with the Iraqi central government and officials of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, including President Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani, to gain support for the operation. These diplomatic efforts included several visits to the United States, which many analysts believe were aimed at gaining approval for the cross-border operation.
Fidan, Güler and Kalın’s joint trip to Baghdad is a notable step in the intensified diplomacy surrounding the operation and has attracted attention due to the high-profile nature of the delegation, which previously held separate talks. The Baghdad Security Summit, hosted by Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, will focus mainly on the planned operation against PKK positions, with information about the agenda of the meeting leaked by media close to the Turkish government.
The visit comes ahead of an expected visit to Iraq by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in April.