Turkey Claims to Have Killed 32 PKK Members in Northern Iraq

On Friday, May 14, the Turkish Ministry of Defense claimed that it killed 32 members of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in attacks on various areas in northern Iraq. According to the ministry's statement, PKK militants were killed in the regions of Haftanin, Gara, and Khakurk in Iraqi Kurdistan, as well as in areas where they conduct operations under the framework of 'Operation Claw Lock.' Turkey's cross-border attacks into Iraq have caused tensions in the relations between the two countries. Ankara is seeking greater cooperation from Baghdad in the fight against the PKK. Last Monday, Erdogan visited Iraq for the first time in 13 years to improve and expand relations with Iraq and to discuss bilateral cooperation against the PKK with Iraqi leaders and the Kurdistan Region. The Turkish presidency stated that during his meeting with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid, Erdogan expressed Turkey's expectation for cooperation from Iraq against the 'terrorist' organization PKK. Abdul Latif Rashid is the highest-ranking Kurdish official in Iraq. According to the Iraqi presidency's statement, Rashid also told Erdogan that his country welcomes cooperation to combat terrorism and will not allow its territory to be used for attacks on neighbors. However, the Iraqi president told his Turkish counterpart that he opposes any attacks on Iraqi territory. In recent years, both the Islamic Republic of Iran and Turkey have conducted extensive airstrikes in this region under the pretext of fighting Kurdish parties based in Iraqi Kurdistan, resulting in the deaths of dozens of civilians and the depopulation of many villages. The PKK was founded in 1978 by a group of mainly Kurdish students and began its armed activities in 1984 to gain rights for Kurds in Turkey. The PKK is recognized as a 'terrorist' organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.