Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan urged Iraq to formally designate the Kurdistan Workers’ Party PKK as a terrorist organization. His remarks came during a press conference in Baghdad with Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein and were circulated by the Anadolu Agency.
The Turkish minister emphasized that the PKK represents a common threat that endangers regional stability. He warned that ignoring the danger could jeopardize national sovereignty and stressed that no partner should tolerate actions that might undermine security in the broader region.
Fidan outlined that the PKK has established a presence in parts of Iraq, including areas around Sinjar and Qandil, and he cited villages on Iraqi soil affected by the group. He argued that the organization does not respect the border between Iraq and Syria and is attempting to forge a terror corridor by linking the two northern regions.
In a separate note, Yeni Şafak reported on August 16 that there was discussion about Sweden’s NATO accession, mentioning a list of individuals allegedly connected to terrorist networks within Turkey. The report suggested that ongoing operations and examinations could influence the broader security framework in the region.
The Kurdistan Workers’ Party PKK is described as a Kurdish paramilitary movement that seeks an autonomous state in historic Kurdistan. Its supporters have engaged in armed activity that Turkey characterizes as terrorism, a classification that is also shared by the United States and several European partners. Critics within Turkey have argued that language labeling Kurdish language rights as tied to PKK activity may complicate cultural and educational policy; Ankara contends that such associations enable violence and disrupt social cohesion.
A historic legal development involved a Swedish court decision related to the extradition of an individual linked to PKK support, a case viewed within Turkey as part of a broader legal framework for addressing terrorism. References to such rulings illustrate the ongoing complexity of international cooperation on counterterrorism, extradition procedures, and the alignment of partner states with Turkey on security priorities.