Shafaq News/ On Monday, a security source in Duhok reported that Turkish forces launched a series of intense attacks on the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) positions in various areas of the governorate starting the previous evening.
According to the source, “Turkish military operations commenced at 11:00 pm using helicopters and heavy weapons around the villages of Barchi, Balafaa, and Koherzi on the foothills of Mount Matin.”
“At 01:00 am, drone strikes targeted the villages Mezhe, Kavne, and Beara Gari on the slopes of Mount Gara.”
The source added that Turkish aircraft continued their operations on Monday morning, bombing the Deryeshi Valley, the peaks of Mount Gara, and scattered areas between the villages of Balijanki and Haffendka.
The conflict between Turkiye and the PKK dates back to the early 1980s when the PKK started advocating for an independent Kurdish state within Turkiye.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, the conflict intensified, with the PKK engaging in guerrilla warfare and the Turkish military conducting large-scale operations against PKK bases.
On August 15, after two days of high-level security talks in Ankara, Turkiye and Iraq signed an agreement focusing on military, security, and counter-terrorism cooperation, explicitly targeting the PKK. This agreement includes establishing joint coordination and training centers in Baghdad and Bashiqa.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, speaking alongside his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein after talks in Ankara, described the defense agreement as having "historical importance." Hussein noted that the accord was "the first in the history of Iraq and Turkiye" in this field.
Notably, after signing the agreement, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler told Reuters that the recent counter-terrorism measures taken by Turkiye and Iraq marked a turning point in their relations. He added that Ankara wanted Baghdad to take an additional step and officially designate the PKK as a terrorist organization as soon as possible.