President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan called on the Iraqi people to recognize the PKK as a terrorist organization, as he welcomed Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Ankara on Tuesday.
Noting that terrorist groups PKK, Daesh and the Gülenist Terror Group (FETÖ) pose a threat to Türkiye and Iraq's security, President Erdoğan said the two countries reaffirmed their commitment to fighting all forms of terrorism.
"Our expectation from our Iraqi brothers and sisters is to recognize the PKK as a terrorist organization and clear their lands of this bloody terrorist group," he said.
Türkiye has long been stressing that it will not tolerate terrorist threats against national security, and called on Iraqi officials to take the necessary steps to eliminate the terrorist group. Ankara previously noted that it would not avoid targeting terrorist threats if the expected steps were not taken. In the last two years, intensifying operations in northern Iraq have demolished terrorist lairs in Metina, Avashin-Basyan, Zap and Gara. After eradicating the group’s influence in these regions, Türkiye also aims to clear Qandil, Sinjar and Makhmour.
The Qandil Mountains in northern Iraq are the PKK’s stronghold, and the group is active in many nearby cities and towns. In addition, it occupies many villages in the region from where it launches attacks on Türkiye.
Erdoğan also said Türkiye would increase the water outflow from the Tigris River for a month to help alleviate Iraq's water shortage.
In response, al-Sudani thanked Erdoğan on behalf of the Iraqi government and the people for official instructions to solve water woes in the country.
He said Iraq has conveyed to Türkiye its "desire to enhance relations in all fields."
On the fight against terrorism, he stressed that Iraq will not allow any terror group to use its territory for attacks on Türkiye.
Security concerns can be overcome with enhanced intelligence sharing, al-Sudani added.
