Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced plans to significantly bolster Türkiye’s military presence in Iraq’s Kurdistan Region, vowing to “largely complete fortifications” in the mountainous areas by summer.
This move comes amid Türkiye’s ongoing offensive against the Kurdish Workers’ Party (PKK), which Ankara considers a terrorist organization.
Erdogan, speaking after a cabinet meeting, stated that the fortified positions, established within the “Operation Claw” zone, will enable “far more effective measures” against the PKK. Operation Claw refers to a series of Turkish military operations launched since 2019 targeting PKK positions in the region.
Erdogan emphasized Türkiye’s determination to eradicate the PKK, declaring: “We will continue to crush the heads of members of the terrorist organization wherever we find them and wipe out the infrastructure built for this purpose.”
This announcement follows recent escalations in the conflict. In December, 12 Turkish soldiers were killed by the PKK in the Kurdistan Region, prompting retaliatory strikes by Türkiye. Last month, Turkish airstrikes targeted energy infrastructure in northern Syria and alleged PKK positions in the Kurdistan Region after the killing of nine Turkish soldiers. (ILKHA)
