The PKK terrorist group’s presence in northern Iraq’s Mosul and Sinjar threatens the sovereignty of Iraq, Lilyen Muhammad, the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) party's Mosul deputy said on Thursday.

The terrorist group aims to destabilize both Turkey and Iraq, she told Anadolu Agency (AA).

The terrorist group's presence in the region compels Turkey to carry out cross-border operations for the sake of border security and stability, she noted.

Stressing the gravity of the threat posed by the PKK, Muhammad said that Turkey and Iraq, as neighboring countries, should cooperate in the security field to end the terrorist group's presence in northern Iraq.

The PKK terrorist group managed to establish a foothold in Sinjar in mid-2014 under the pretext of protecting the local Yazidi community from Daesh. Since then, the PKK has reportedly established a new base in Sinjar for its logistical and command-and-control activities. Around 450,000 Yazidis escaped Sinjar after Daesh took control of the region in mid-2014.

Turkish security forces conduct cross-border operations in northern Iraq, a region where PKK terrorists have hideouts and bases from which they carry out attacks on Turkey.

Turkey launched Operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle in June 2020 to ensure the safety of Turks and the country's national borders by eliminating terrorist threats.

In its more than 40-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women and children.