Turkish Fighter Jets Attack PKK Positions in Northern Iraq

Reports indicate that Turkish fighter jets targeted positions of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq on Friday night and early Saturday, July 3. According to Reuters, critics of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan claim that the Turkish airstrikes on ISIS positions serve as a pretext to cover up the government's true intention to attack PKK positions. The recent attacks by Turkish jets on PKK positions are seen as a termination of the ceasefire between this group and the Turkish government. Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu stated on Saturday that security measures would continue as long as threats against Turkey persist. The Prime Minister remarked, 'These operations are not against a single point, and they will continue as long as the threat against Turkey exists.' The recent Turkish attacks on PKK positions are the first since the peace agreement in 2013 between this opposition group and the Turkish government. PKK officials confirmed that five military camps of the group in the Qandil Mountains of Iraq were heavily attacked by Turkish F-16 jets around 11 PM local time. According to Reuters, the PKK issued a statement declaring that the peace agreement with the Turkish government is meaningless following the recent attacks. These strikes began just hours after Erdogan announced a more serious approach to dealing with both ISIS and the PKK. Additionally, on Friday, the Turkish government informed the UN Secretary-General that it had commenced its attacks against ISIS in Syria due to what it described as the 'inability and disinterest' of Syrian leaders in combating extremist Islamists. Last Monday, a suicide attack at a gathering in the city of Suruç in Turkey resulted in at least 32 deaths. Following this suicide attack, the Turkish government initiated new measures against ISIS. Reports indicate that Turkey has finally allowed the United States to use the Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey for air operations against Islamists. In this context, Turkey fears the formation of an autonomous Kurdish region in Syria.