There is no such party: the Kurds of Iraq supported the end of the PKK's war with Turkey

The Iraqi Kurds support the dissolution of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the end of the armed confrontation with Turkey. The Deputy Minister of Foreign Relations of the Government of Kurdistan, Daban Shadala, told Izvestia about this. According to him, the settlement will benefit the security and economy of the region. Consultations on PKK disarmament are ongoing. At the same time, some factions operating in the territory of the Arab Republic may not lay down their arms. At the same time, Erbil began reforming the self-defense forces against the background of preparations for the withdrawal of the forces of the international coalition led by the United States.

The end of the PKK conflict with Turkey

The authorities of Iraqi Kurdistan support a peace initiative aimed at ending the long-standing armed confrontation between Turkey and the PKK. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Foreign Relations of the Government of Kurdistan Daban Shadala in an interview with Izvestia.

— Our Kurdistan government supports the peace process in Turkey. We consider this to be positive," he said. — It has a very good effect on us. Some of the PKK forces are located near our borders. We will benefit economically, socially, and also in the security sphere if the PKK and Turkey solve the problems. Therefore, we are fully involved in the peace process.

The signal for de-escalation was the March 1 statement by the PKK, which is banned in Turkey and recognized as a terrorist organization, on a cease-fire and the self-dissolution of the organization. The party stressed that this decision was made in response to the call of their leader, Abdullah Ocalan, who has been serving a life sentence on Imrali Island in Turkey since 1999. The text of the statement also contains readiness for democratic and political methods of struggle.

Abdullah Ocalan

Photo: TASS/EPA/ANATOLIA NEWS AGENCY

Since 1984, when the PKK launched an armed struggle against the Turkish state, the conflict has claimed tens of thousands of lives and has become one of the region's longest-running problems. Attempts at a settlement have already been made, but in 2015 the fighting resumed. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had previously warned that the operation against the PKK could be resumed if the organization "resorts to tricks" or tries to delay the settlement process.

According to Shadala, stabilization in the Turkish-Kurdish direction can lead to an influx of investments, a revival of trade and a reduction in tension in the border areas.

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The export of hydrocarbons from the region is still suspended, the profitability of the projects is still questionable.

"This is also good for the Kurds in Turkey," the diplomat added. — The rights of the Kurds will be guaranteed through a democratic and parliamentary method, not through weapons and killing each other.

In an interview with BBC Arabic, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein confirmed that Baghdad, Ankara and the authorities of the Kurdish Autonomy are continuing consultations on the disarmament of the PKK. Hussein noted that this process requires mutual understanding between all parties, including Turkey, which has been waging an armed struggle against the PKK for decades.

View of Ankara

Photo: TASS/Valery Sharifulin

However, local sources express much more restrained assessments of the prospects for a settlement. According to the Iraqi newspaper Al Wathika, the PKK factions operating in the country "may not lay down their arms." According to him, the organization has "mutual understanding" with a number of Shiite armed groups, which may create additional obstacles to the disarmament process and cast doubt on the effectiveness of the efforts of Baghdad and Erbil. Some PKK formations even receive salaries from Hashd al-Shaabi (a large pro-Iraqi paramilitary group), the newspaper writes.

According to Iraqi MP Mukhtar al-Mousavi, the organization does not intend to abandon the armed struggle without preconditions, the main of which may be the release of PKK founder Abdullah Ocalan. Al-Mousavi stressed that without political guarantees and compromises, it would be extremely difficult to force the PKK to surrender its weapons.

If the seizure of weapons and the dissolution do take place, it will be an absolute political victory for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Turkish leader will be able to take credit for solving the most difficult internal issue that has divided Turkish society for decades.

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Iraq is preparing for the withdrawal of US-led coalition forces

In parallel with the progress in the PKK's peace process with Turkey, the reform of the local self—defense forces, the Peshmerga, is underway in Iraqi Kurdistan. The reason was the impending withdrawal of troops from the international coalition led by the United States, which has played a key role in ensuring security in the region in recent years.

"The presence of the US military in Iraq provides a lot of security to the Iraqi people,— Daban Shadala said. "Since they will leave Iraq, and if they do so according to plan, then we are in the process of uniting our Peshmerga. We are undergoing a reform that the US military is helping to carry out. We are getting new weapons, recruiting young people and training them to protect our borders.

Photo: Global Look Press/Domenico Palesse

The reform covers both the material and technical equipment of the units and personnel issues. The Peshmerga remain an important force in the fight against terrorism, including the remnants of the Islamic State (IS).

"The Peshmerga are needed not for war with neighboring countries, but for fighting terrorism and ensuring security in our areas," the deputy minister stressed.

The withdrawal of coalition troops could seriously weaken the Iraqi Armed Forces in important areas such as intelligence, air defense, aviation support, logistics, and coordination. This can create a window of opportunity for sleeper cells of terrorist groups.

A source from Izvestia in Iraqi diplomatic circles had previously clarified that technical consultations between the parties were continuing. They relate to military aspects and security-related issues.

Iraqi National Security Adviser Qassem al-Araji, in an interview with Al Hadath TV channel, confirmed that in case of an aggravation of the situation with ISIS (banned in Russia), adjustments may be made to the agreement. However, if the threat level remains low, the withdrawal of the coalition will take place on time — until September 2026.