Turkish media reported on Thursday that the Turkish Defense Minister, Hulusi Akar, has arrived at the border with Iraq amid news of an upcoming ground operation. The state-run TRT television channel stated, “Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, accompanied by Deputy Minister Şuay Alpay, visited Şırnak. After a meeting at Şerafettin Elçi Airport, Minister Hulusi Akar proceeded by helicopter to the 23rd Infantry Division Command, where he conducted inspection operations.”
The channel added that after receiving updates on the latest developments during operations in northern Iraq, Minister Hulusi Akar issued instructions regarding the necessary actions in the region.
Earlier, the “Hürriyet” newspaper mentioned that the Turkish Armed Forces are expected to carry out a large-scale ground military operation in northern Iraq against militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is banned in the country. An agreement with the Iraqi central and local authorities regarding the operation’s execution has been reached.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan previously stated that the country plans to “resolve the border security issue” with Iraq this summer, aiming to establish a security corridor 30-40 kilometers deep in Syria.
The armed conflict with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), banned in Turkey and designated as a terrorist organization, began in Turkey in 1984 and resumed in 2015. The PKK bases are located in northern Iraq, where Ankara conducts aerial and ground operations against them.
The presence of Turkish forces at the Bashiqa camp northeast of Mosul has been a point of contention between Baghdad and Ankara, justified by the need to combat the PKK.
