Erdogan Announces Imminent End to Operation Against PKK in Iraq and Syria
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Erdogan Announces Imminent End to Operation Against PKK in Iraq and Syria

 

ERBIL — Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Saturday the imminent conclusion of Turkish forces' operation against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters in the Kurdistan Region and Syria. 

Turkey launched Operation Claw-Lock in April 2022 to secure its border with the Kurdistan Region, accusing Kurdish separatists of launching attacks against Turkish territory.

"We will very soon complete the lockdown of the area of operation in northern Iraq," Erdogan said, adding that Kurdish forces were now "incapable of acting inside our borders." He stated that PKK had been "completely trapped" in both Iraq and Syria, telling young military academy graduates that Turkish forces were "all over them." Erdogan also mentioned plans to "complete the missing points of the security belt along our southern border with Syria."

Since 2016, Ankara has carried out successive ground operations to expel Kurdish forces from border areas of northern Syria.

Turkey aims to finalize an extensive military operation in northern Iraq to eliminate the PKK presence before winter, according to Defense Minister Yaşar Güler. Speaking to Turkish newspaper Sabah during the NATO summit in Washington, Güler outlined the strategy to seize the Gara region and complete Operation Claw-Lock, which commenced in April 2022.

Güler emphasized the significance of Gara for the PKK, describing it as a crucial link between the Qandil Mountains and the group’s Syrian offshoot, the YPG. With Turkish forces penetrating areas previously unreachable for three decades, the minister underscored the mission’s goal to sever connections between Syria and Qandil by November.

Highlighting Turkey’s respect for the territorial integrity of Syria and Iraq, Güler reiterated that their focus is solely on combating terrorism. The aim is to establish a 30-40 kilometer deep security corridor along the Iraqi and Syrian borders, eradicating PKK strongholds and securing the region.

The recent intensification of Turkish operations in northern Iraq has fueled speculation about an imminent large-scale summer offensive against the PKK. Erdogan has previously hinted at expanded actions to dismantle PKK networks, reinforcing Turkey’s commitment to closing the security loop between Iraq and Syria.

The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union, operates from northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region, where the Iraqi federal government holds limited sway. Unverified reports indicate Turkish advancements and airstrikes targeting PKK positions, signaling the operation’s progress.

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