Middle East
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein. File photo: Anadolu Agency
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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A high-level Turkish and Iraqi delegation is set to meet on Sunday to discuss efforts against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), with Ankara urging Baghdad to recognize the Kurdish group as a terrorist organization, state media reported.
The delegations will be headed by Turkish and Iraqi foreign ministers Hakan Fidan and Fuad Hussein respectively, according to the state-owned Anadolu Agency.
“The meeting is expected to review the concrete implementation of the Iraqi side's decision to declare the PKK a ‘banned organization’ on the field and draw attention once again to Türkiye's ultimate expectation that the PKK be officially declared a ‘terrorist organization’ by the Iraqi side,” Anadolu said.
The meeting is set to take place on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on its final day.
In March 2024, Baghdad banned the PKK, a move welcomed by Turkey. However, despite pressure from Ankara, Iraq has not designated the group as a terrorist organization.
The meeting will also discuss the “repercussions” of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan's call to lay down arms, according to Anadolu.
PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan issued a historic message in late February telling the group to convene a congress and “make the decision to integrate with the state and society; all groups should lay down their arms and the PKK should dissolve itself.”
The PKK has accused Turkey of continuing attacks and said that a one-sided ceasefire is not enough. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that the PKK must disband “without further delay.”
On Friday, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met with Erdogan and discussed reviving the peace process between Turkey and the PKK.
The delegations will be headed by Turkish and Iraqi foreign ministers Hakan Fidan and Fuad Hussein respectively, according to the state-owned Anadolu Agency.
“The meeting is expected to review the concrete implementation of the Iraqi side's decision to declare the PKK a ‘banned organization’ on the field and draw attention once again to Türkiye's ultimate expectation that the PKK be officially declared a ‘terrorist organization’ by the Iraqi side,” Anadolu said.
The meeting is set to take place on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on its final day.
In March 2024, Baghdad banned the PKK, a move welcomed by Turkey. However, despite pressure from Ankara, Iraq has not designated the group as a terrorist organization.
The meeting will also discuss the “repercussions” of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan's call to lay down arms, according to Anadolu.
PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan issued a historic message in late February telling the group to convene a congress and “make the decision to integrate with the state and society; all groups should lay down their arms and the PKK should dissolve itself.”
The PKK has accused Turkey of continuing attacks and said that a one-sided ceasefire is not enough. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that the PKK must disband “without further delay.”
On Friday, Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met with Erdogan and discussed reviving the peace process between Turkey and the PKK.
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