Ankara says new operation aims to end PKK access to Iraqi border

Karwan Faidhi Dri

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkey's defense minister said on Sunday that once their latest military campaign against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Duhok province is completed successfully, the group will no longer be able to access Turkey’s borders with the Kurdistan Region and Iraq. 
 
Turkey launched a fresh military operation against the PKK in the Kurdistan Region last week. Dubbed Operation Claw-Lock, the offensive aims to target the group’s hideouts and ammunition on Turkey’s border with Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province.

The London-based online news outlet Middle East Eye cited an unnamed Turkish military source on Friday as saying that the aim of the operation is to seize Zap area, the last remaining pathway for the PKK from the Kurdistan Region into Turkey.

Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar visited Turkish troops near Zap on Sunday, confirming that they want to end the PKK’s pathway on the Turkey-Iraq border. 

“Hopefully, with the successful completion of this operation, we will completely lock the border line. It will not be possible for terrorists to enter or exit [our borders],” he said in a video conference with commanders shared by his office on Monday.

Ankara launched Operation Claw against the PKK in Khakurk in May 2019. This was followed by Operation Claw-Tiger in June 2020. The third edition of the offensive was a ground and air cross-border operation, dubbed Operation Claw-Lightning and Operation Claw-Thunderbolt, launched in April 2021. The latest edition of the offensive, Operation Claw-Lock, was announced last Monday. All operations have focused on the PKK’s positions in the Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that the anti-PKK operations will continue "until we take control of all of our southern borders in a way that no terrorist can infiltrate in and escape from our country." 

Erdogan claimed on Wednesday that “soon there will not be a place called Qandil,” referring to a mountain on Kurdistan Region’s border with Iran where the PKK headquarters is located.

Murat Karayilan, a top PKK commander, was quoted by the group’s media on Thursday as saying that their current fight with the Turkish army is one of “survival”, and that, “we have confidence in ourselves, we will be victorious.”

Akar claimed that they have “neutralised” 56 PKK fighters since the fresh operation began last Monday. Turkish officials use the term “neutralise” to imply surrenders, killings or capturing. So far, five Turkish soldiers have been killed during the operation, according to the country’s defense ministry.

The PKK claimed on Monday that they have killed 218 Turkish soldiers in Duhok and injured 48 others since last Monday. The group added that it lost 11 fighters in Avashin and Zap areas.

Related: Turkey’s fresh military campaign against the PKK in Duhok: Why now?

Akar also said during the video conference they are not after any “adventures,” but to chase “terrorists,” adding that they respect the sovereignty of neighboring countries. 

The PKK is an armed group fighting for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey, regarded as a terrorist group by Ankara.  

President Erdogan claimed last week that the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) coordinated with Ankara for the operation, but both Baghdad and the Peshmerga ministry denied this hours later. However, the KRG itself has not commented on the claim. 

Ahmed al-Sahaf, spokesperson for Iraq’s foreign ministry, said on Sunday that Turkey is committing continuous violations that have no legal basis, nor are there any agreements between Baghdad and Ankara.

However, Akar told the pro-government NTV broadcaster on Monday that, “our communications with Baghdad and Erbil continue” regarding the operation.