Erdogan announces end of military interventions in Iraq and Northern Syria against Kurdish militias

Erdogan announces end of military interventions in Iraq and Northern Syria against Kurdish militias

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has promised an end to military operations against Kurdish militias in Iraq and northern Syria. Ankara is close to achieving the goals of the operations, Erdogan told graduates of a military academy in Istanbul. Both in Iraq and in Syria, the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) is completely encircled. Regarding the Turkish-Syrian border, Erdogan spoke of "remaining points" in what he calls a security belt that still need to be closed.

Turkey has been conducting operations with ground forces in northern Syria since 2016 to drive out Kurdish militias from its border and controls parts of the country in the region. The operation in northern Iraq has been running since April 2022 with the goal of repelling PKK attacks from there.

The PKK has been fighting against the Turkish state since the 1980s and has carried out numerous attacks. Both Europe and the USA classify them as a terrorist organization.

There have been signs of rapprochement between Turkey and Syria for some time. Erdogan had broken off diplomatic relations with Damascus during the civil war. President Bashar al-Assad had previously rejected reconciliation as long as Turkish troops occupied the northern part of Syria.

1. Erdogan mentioned that the goals of the military operations against Kurdish militias in both Iraq and northern Syria are nearly achieved, signifying an imminent end to these operations.
2. Turkish President Erdogan, during his speech, indicated that the PKK in Iraq is completely surrounded, mirroring the same situation in northern Syria.
3. Reflecting on the Turkish-Syrian border, Erdogan mentioned that some "remaining points" in the security belt still need to be closed, hinting at potential future military interventions.
4. In the context of eradicating Kurdish militia threats from its borders, Turkey has conducted military operations in northern Syria since 2016 and initiated an operation in northern Iraq in April 2022.

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