Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the end of operations against Kurdish PKK fighters in northern Iraq and Syria, as part of Operation Claw-Lock initiated in April 2022. Erdogan stated that Kurdish forces were “incapable of acting” within Turkey’s borders, as the PKK had been “completely trapped” in Iraq and Syria.
Turkey has a history of tensions with Kurdish separatists, with the PKK involved in armed insurgency since 1984. The PKK, listed as a terror organization by Turkey and Western allies, operates in northern Iraq, causing strains in bilateral ties. Recent incursions by Turkey into Iraqi territory have led to fires and casualties, with Iraq urging diplomatic resolutions.
Signs of rapprochement have emerged, with Iraq listing the PKK as a banned organization in March. Erdogan visited Iraq in April, calling on Baghdad to combat “terrorism.” Meanwhile, Turkish forces have expelled Kurdish fighters from border areas in northern Syria, controlling two vast territories. Erdogan aims to prevent a “terror corridor” in Syria and hinted at reconciliation with Assad, although Syrian diplomats demand the withdrawal of Turkish forces for normalization.
