The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) is preparing for a comprehensive operation targeting the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) terror camps in Sinjar and Qandil in northern Iraq. The move comes after the terrorist organization martyred six Turkish soldiers and two village guards in the Şemdinli district of the southeastern Hakkari province on Thursday.
The Turkish army is initiating the groundwork for a multi-front war in the region, where global powers attempt to divide Syria into cantons, encircle Turkey with the PKK-affiliated Democratic Union Party (PYD) terrorists along its southern borderline, and protect and expand terror areas in northern Iraq. Military sources say the latest Şemdinli attack was the final straw for the TAF, and the Turkish military is about to launch a major operation in northern Iraq.
In a joint press conference with Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Oct. 25, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned the Baghdad government against the PKK presence in Qandil and Sinjar. “We have taken all necessary measures against the terrorist organization along our borders. In case of any negative development or a provocation from the region against our country, we may launch a cross-border operation any moment,” said Erdoğan. Noting that he cautioned the Iraqi government about their focus on the fight against Daesh instead of the PKK, Erdoğan said he believes “the remaining Daesh elements will also be cleared.”
One week after his statement, PKK terrorists martyred six Turkish soldiers and two village guards in Hakkari, and Turkish President Erdoğan once again warned the Iraqi central government against the terrorist organization’s presence in the region.
“There is nothing more important than the perpetuity of our nation. We do not have to ask for permission, if the legal sovereign state in Qandil or Sinjar cannot solve the problem, then we will settle it. We do not have to wait for the terrorist organizations that are growing outside our borders. It is permissible for us to conduct all kinds of operation on land and in the air,” Erdoğan said on Saturday, effectively issuing another warning to the Baghdad government.
Turkey has reportedly increased the pace of its meetings with Iran and Iraq in anticipation of the comprehensive cross-border operation. Security forces are also ready for the operation in Sinjar and Qandil, which will inflict a heavy blow to the PKK terrorist organization.
Iran and Iraq should support Turkey for a successful operation in northern Iraq, according to military sources. The two countries should block the crossings used by terrorists that the Turkish army will clear from the north. Sources say Erdoğan warned al-Abadi particularly on this issue. The operation will achieve its aim as a result of the cooperation between Ankara, Tehran and Baghdad that was revived in the aftermath of the illegitimate independence referendum held by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) on Sept. 25.
The TAF announced on Saturday that jets hit 36 PKK targets and destroyed terror camps, weapons positions, arms dumps and shelters in Iraq’s Zap, Avasin-Basyan, Mt. Qandil, Sinat-Haftanin, Gara, Hakurk, and Metina regions.
The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States.
The PKK has been conducting armed violence in the southeastern part of Turkey since 1984. More than 40,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the three-decade long conflict.
