Turkey ready to cooperate with Iraq to eradicate PKK from Kirkuk

The Turkish government says it is ready to cooperate with the central Iraqi government against militants from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the country’s oil-rich northern province of Kirkuk, amid reports that the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is allowing PKK terrorists to penetrate the city.

“We once again emphasize the importance we attach to the protection of Iraq’s political unity and territorial integrity. We also underline our readiness for any kind of cooperation with the Iraqi government on the termination of the PKK presence in Iraqi territories,” the Turkish Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

The statement also warned KRG not to add another calamitous mistake to the ones they have already made by allowing the PKK presence in the region, vowing that Kurdish authorities “will be held responsible if it lets the PKK find shelter.”

 “We welcome the Iraqi government’s statement that no tolerance will be shown to PKK members in Kirkuk and that the mobilization of these groups will be considered an act of war,” it added.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry further underlined that it is closely monitoring the Iraqi government’s moves for the “establishment of constitutional order in Kirkuk.”

“Turkey will stand with the Iraqi government in its steps that aim to establish lasting peace and stability in the country,” it pointed out.

Meanwhile, Turkey's cabinet has agreed to close its air space to Iraqi’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, and said work had started to hand over the main land border crossing into the Kurdish territory to Baghdad government.

On Monday afternoon, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi ordered the hoisting of the Iraqi national flag in the country’s oil-rich northern province of Kirkuk as well as other areas under the control of KRG.

The development came shortly after a convoy of Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) forces took control of the governorate building in the central part of Kirkuk, located 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Baghdad, facing no resistance from Kurdish Peshmerga forces in the city.

SS