The decision of the federal government in Baghdad to redeploy Iraqi forces on the borders between Iraq, Iran and Türkiye was welcomed by Kurdish parties, in particular the Kurdistan Patriotic Union, which enjoys wide influence in the Sulaymaniyah province bordering Iran.
The federal decisions were taken during a meeting of the Ministerial Council for National Security on Wednesday evening. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Mohammad Shia Al-Sudani and attended by members of the Council and the Chief of Staff of the Kurdish Peshmerga Forces.
Participants discussed “the Turkish and Iranian attacks and violations on the Iraqi borders, and the bombing that targeted a number of areas in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, and terrorized the people and damaged their property.”
According to a statement, the council took four decisions, including developing a plan to redeploy the Iraqi forces along the borders with Iran and Türkiye, securing logistical support requirements for the border forces command, enhancing human capabilities and providing them with equipment to enable them to accomplish their tasks, as well as employing the human resources available at the Ministry of Interior to strengthen border posts.
The meeting also emphasized the necessity of coordination with the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq and the Ministry of Peshmerga to implement the approved procedures, with the aim of unifying national efforts to protect the Iraqi borders.
Earlier this week, Iran and Türkiye launched a series of attacks inside Iraqi territory targeting the positions of Kurdish parties, killing and wounding at least 15 people.
This prompted the Kurdistan Region, the Federal Government, the United Nations, the United States and some Western countries to condemn the attacks and call on Ankara and Tehran to stop the hostilities that violate the sovereignty of Iraq.
The Kurdistan Patriotic Union Party welcomed the federal government’s decision to redeploy its forces to protect the borders. The leader of the party, Ghayath al-Sorji, told Asharq Al-Awsat: “We welcome any step taken by the federal government to protect the borders and deter Turkish and Iranian aggression.”
He continued: “It is natural that the federal border forces take over the task in coordination with the Peshmerga. The move will be widely welcomed by most Kurdish parties. We adhere to the federal constitution, which entrusts the federal government with security and border protection.”