Istanbul: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday hailed the Iraqi government’s recent efforts against the terrorist group PKK, including officially declaring it illegal. Erdogan expressed Ankara’s satisfaction with these “positive steps” during a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Istanbul.
According to Anadolu Agency, the leaders’ discussions at the Vahdettin Mansion covered bilateral relations, along with regional and global issues. Erdogan emphasized that terrorist groups pose significant security threats to both Trkiye and Iraq and highlighted that combating all forms of terrorism, without exception, would strengthen peace and stability in both countries.
In its more than 40-year terror campaign against Trkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Trkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants. The group is based in northern Iraq, near the Turkish border, in areas under the Kur
dish Regional Government.
Erdogan noted that Trkiye and Iraq are neighboring countries with deep-rooted historical and cultural ties and added that developing relations and evaluating cooperation opportunities, particularly the Development Road Project, will bring significant benefits to both countries. He affirmed that they would continue to take the required steps with determination to this end.
Erdogan also decried the growing Israeli aggression in the region, calling it a threat to both regional and global peace. He stressed the need for solidarity, particularly among regional countries, to counter this threat and establish peace and stability, adding that Trkiye would continue its efforts for peace.