Turkish warplanes strike PKK Positions in Duhok: Security sources
Shafaq News/ On Friday, Turkish warplanes bombarded Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) positions in the eastern Duhok governorate in Iraqi Kurdistan.
A security source told Shafaq News Agency that Turkish aircraft conducted a "morning raid on PKK sites in the Shikhan district, east of Duhok, as well as the vicinity of Batas village in the Kasrok subdistrict."
He did not provide details about the extent of the damage or the casualties.
A military source confirmed to Shafaq News Agency that PKK fighters move in small groups across cities and the governorates in the Kurdistan Region, making them targets for Turkish air raids.
On Tuesday, another security source reported that Turkish warplanes conducted airstrikes on PKK positions in the Gara Mountain area overlooking Al-Amadiya district.
The strikes focused on the village of Spindar at the mountain's base and the surrounding mountainous area.
Turkiye has bolstered its dialogue channels with Iraq about the PKK presence and the frequent attacks.
In an interview with Anadolu News Agency, Turkish Ambassador to Baghdad Anil Bora Inan expressed Turkiye's understanding of Iraq's situation, given its challenges with terrorism. He described the Iraqi people as "friends, neighbors, and close ones who have endured hardships unworthy of human dignity."
Significant progress has been made between Ankara and Baghdad regarding the fight against the Kurdistan Workers' Party, Inan said, pointing to the activation of a high-level security mechanism between the two countries following Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan's visit to Iraq in August 2023.
In this context, Inan highlighted that the PKK was designated a "common threat" to both countries in a meeting in Ankara in December 2023 and was declared a "banned organization" in a meeting in March 2024. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani also declared the PKK a "banned" entity in all state institutions.
"Ongoing military operations by the Turkish Armed Forces in northern Iraq are conducted with full respect for Iraq's territorial integrity and aim to eliminate the PKK, which poses a national security threat to both Turkiye and Iraq," the Ambassador explained.
Inan shared that he had clearly conveyed Turkiye's justifications for its "war on terrorism" and the "suffering" it has endured from the PKK over the past 40 years to Shiite religious circles in Najaf. He acknowledged Najaf's significant role in Iraqi politics and emphasized that Najaf and Karbala are crucial centers for the Islamic world.
"We are working to diversify communication and dialogue channels on every issue with Iraq in the new period," Inan added. "We aim to move forward by meeting with Iraqi authorities and agreeing within an institutional framework."
