Turkey To Halt Military Operation in Northern Iraq

Latest Developments

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on July 13 that Turkey is winding down its military operation against Kurdish separatists in northern Iraq. In 2022, Turkey launched a military operation known as Operation Claw-Lock to secure its border with Iraq and prevent the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) — which is designated as a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and the European Union — from using its bases in Iraq to launch attacks against Turkey. Speaking at the National Defense University’s commencement ceremony in Istanbul, Erdogan said on July 13 that the PKK is “completely trapped” in Iraq and Syria and that PKK militants are “incapable of acting” on Turkish soil. “We will very soon complete the lockdown of the area of operation in northern Iraq,” Erdogan told the military academy graduates.

Expert Analysis

“Turkey is weighing several dynamics at the moment. Erdogan may assume the United States will draw down its footprint in Iraq, allowing Turkey to fill a part of the security vacuum left in the north. Additionally, Erdogan has sought a normalization conversation with Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, but that would require the likely withdrawal of Turkish troops from Syria. Erdogan is creating a security buffer with Iraq and Syria that can be managed with a small military presence.” — Tyler Stapleton, Director of Congressional Relations at FDD Action

“Erdogan has used the pretense of going after the PKK as a means to distract Turkey’s citizens from his dismal record of economic governance. By appearing to take tough measures against terrorism, Erdogan intends to portray himself as a decisive leader, upholding his country’s security interests. In reality, he has done nothing to address the root causes of the Kurdish question, specifically in the realm of a negotiated settlement. He has used the same strategy to attack Syrian Kurds affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces and invented an enemy to pursue. In reality, the SDF have only focused on defeating ISIS and pose no threat to Turkey. Other than causing death and destruction, Erdogan has achieved little else.” — Sinan Ciddi, FDD Non-Resident Senior Fellow

October 2023 Suicide Attack

The PKK claimed responsibility for a suicide attack in Ankara on October 1, 2023, that wounded two police officers. Turkish forces subsequently carried out a bombing campaign against the PKK and its affiliates. On October 4, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said that Turkey considers any infrastructure and energy facilities owned and controlled by the PKK or the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) legitimate targets. The next day, Turkish forces launched strikes against militant-held infrastructure in Syria, destroying an oil well, a storage facility, and shelters. Citing data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project, Reutersreported in October that Turkish airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against the PKK and its affiliates have killed more than 500 civilians since 2016.

U.S. Kurdish Partners

Among the PKK’s offshoots is the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which closely collaborates with American forces in Syria to combat ISIS. The SDF’s collaboration with the United States has caused years of friction between Washington and Ankara, as the Turkish government considers the SDF to be a terrorist organization.

In April 2023, a Turkish drone unsuccessfully targeted SDF Gen. Mazloum Abdi in northern Iraq while he rode in a convoy with three U.S. military personnel. On October 5, 2023, the U.S. military downed an armed Turkish drone in northeast Syria that reportedly flew within half a kilometer of U.S. forces operating against the Islamic State. The downing marked America’s first-ever use of military force against Turkey, a NATO ally. U.S. officials said that while they had no reason to believe Turkey was attempting to target U.S. troops, the drone operators ignored multiple warnings to stay away.

Related Analysis

“The United States Should Unambiguously Embrace Our Kurdish Partners,” by Sinan Ciddi

“Biden Must Tell Erdogan To Stop Targeting US Partners,” by Sinan Ciddi

“Turkey Threatens New Military Offensive in Northern Syria,” by Aykan Erdemir and David Adesnik