Turkiye expects from Iraq to recognize PKK as 'terror group': FM
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Hakan Fidan urged Turkiye, Syria, and Iraq to "combine" means to fight both ISIS and PKK.
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Iraqi Foreign Minister Fouad Hussein shakes hands with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Baghdad, Iraq on March 14, 2024. (AP)
Turkiye's ultimate goal from Iraq, which branded the PKK terror group a "banned organization", is to recognize it as a "terrorist organization", Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated Sunday.
Fidan said that during his discussion with his Iraqi counterpart, he was able to address major problems confronting the two nations and the region in depth, adding that Turkiye's relations with Iraq were considered strategically.
As Turkiye, Iraq, and Syria, "we must combine all our means" to fight both ISIS and PKK terror groups, Fidan declared during a joint press conference with his Iraqi counterpart Fouad Hussein in Baghdad.
Fidan stated, "Our recent progressive understanding with Iraq on security and counter-terrorism is very valuable in this context. In particular, our cooperation against terrorism and our fight against DAESH and the PKK is extremely important."
The Turkish foreign minister added that the PKK is violating Iraqi sovereignty and posing a real risk to its national security, recalling how two Iraqi soldiers were recently killed in an attack and urging that there must be a "common struggle against terrorism" in the region.
He added that Turkiye's "ultimate expectation from Iraq is to recognize the PKK, which it has declared a banned organization, as a terrorist organization."
Fidan also emphasized the importance of Iraqi peace and prosperity to the region's overall stability.
He explained how Iraq and Turkiye's prosperity and wealth are correlated, detailing how when Iraq is more secure, "peace and tranquility will increase in our region." He added that Turkiye supports steps to make Iraq more prosperous and safe.
Fidan emphasized the importance of the Development Road initiative, recalling that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had already signed two distinct memoranda of understanding on the initiative, which he called a "valuable and viable cooperation opportunity."
