Turkey warns PUK about PKK activity: Defense minister

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkey’s defense minister in an interview on Friday said that Ankara has repeatedly warned Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) leaders about activities of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), days after a deadly drone strike killed three members of a Sulaimani-based counter-terrorism directorate.

Speaking to Turkish media outlet Milliyet, Defense Minister Yasar Guler said that his country is “continuously warning” PUK leader Bafel Talabani about what he called “an increase in terrorist activities” in Sulaimani.

“We follow and know all of their actions and activities,” Guler said, adding that they also share information with Iraq and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).

He said his country does not want to take “more drastic measures.” 

Three members of the Counter-Terrorism Group (CTG) were killed and three others were injured when a drone hit Arbat airport on Monday, south of Sulaimani city, which is controlled by the PUK.

Turkey has not claimed responsibility, but the its foreign ministry the next day claimed that members of the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) were receiving training at the airport and this “confirmed once again the accuracy of the measures we have taken regarding Sulaimani, the people of which are almost taken hostage by the terrorist organization.” 

Ankara considers the YPG to be the Syrian branch of the PKK. The Sulaimani-based CTG has collaborated with Syrian Kurdish-led forces on operations against the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria.

Talabani on Monday labelled the strike on Arbat airport a “terrorist attack” and called it "a part of the conspiracy aimed at disturbing the peace and stability of the Kurdistan Region." 

He called on the Iraqi government to protect the country's territory and airspace, including the Kurdistan Region, from such violations and urged the international community to take a stance against "terrorist acts." 

"We, Kurds, who have been at the forefront of the fight against terrorism in recent years and have made great sacrifices, cannot be targeted by such terrorist acts," said Talabani. 

On Monday, the military spokesperson for Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani said that the drone entered Iraq’s airspace through the Turkish border. Iraq’s presidency said it intends to summon the Turkish ambassador over the incident.

Since April, Turkey has banned flights out of Sulaimani airport from its airspace. Defense Minister Guler said they have “completely severed ties” with the airport in hopes of seeing Talabani “stop his support and cooperation” with the PKK. 

The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) is an armed group struggling for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey, but has been listed as a terrorist organization by Ankara.