Baghdad, Ankara- After declaring PKK He solved himself, and he greeted his weapons in response to the invitation of his leader Abdullah OcalanThe 26 -year -old detainee, on February 27, folding a 4 -year -old rebellion page, the question remains about the fate of the Turkish military bases deployed in northern Iraq.
Other inquiries are branched from this question about whether the need for these rules has been denied after the party threw arms and went to political action? Or is Ankara seeing the continued deployment of its forces there are goals further than confronting the former party fighters?
The image of the Turkish military presence is still mysterious, at a time when it has not been completed after the process of delivering or burning the weapons of Kurdistan workers completely, which enhances – according to field data – the need for Turkish bases to remain in those areas.
This existence exceeds the goal of pursuing the party’s fighters to broader dimensions, most notably participating in a regional alliance to combat terrorism that includes Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria, which may impose the continuation of the Turkish military presence, even at a lower pace.
The number of Turkish military bases in northern Iraq is estimated at the border with the border Türkiye About 50 rulers, varying between large and small camps and border inspection points, distributed in the governorates of Erbil, Dohuk and Nineveh, and includes about 5 thousand Turkish soldiers equipped with artillery, armored vehicles and heavy and medium weapons.
First stages
The Iraqi government welcomed the Kurdistan workers’ step, but it remained silent about the fate of the Turkish military bases stationed in some northern regions. Iraq.
In a statement to Al -Jazeera Net, the Iraqi government spokesman, on behalf of Al -Awadi, said that she “does not have a comment on this file today.”
However, a member of the Security and Defense Committee in the Iraqi parliament, the leftist, see that the process of handing over weapons by the Kurdistan workers is still in its early stages and has not yet completed, expressing his hope for its complete completion in a way that paves the way for the withdrawal of the party members from their positions in Jabal Jellyfish AndSinjar Northern Iraq.
He pointed out – in an interview with Al -Jazeera Net – that there is information stating that the party maintains military sites and tunnels inside the mountains, stressing that Baghdad aspires to its fully integrated into the political process.
According to Al -Yasari, the Turkish military presence within Iraqi territory was not made with the official approval of the Iraqi government or according to a memorandum of understanding or a legal agreement, but rather came based on an understanding with Ankara, stipulating that the Iraqi Ministry of Interior establish security centers along the soft area extending for more than 190 km, provided that the Turkish forces withdraw as soon as these border centers are completed.
He added that Baghdad is looking to consolidate its relations with Ankara and the rest of its neighbors, investing its geographical location to achieve strong economic partnerships that benefit all parties.
A mysterious vision
Regarding the future of joint projects between Baghdad and Ankara, especially the “Road of Development” project, which passes through areas where the PKK and Turkish forces are located, the specialist in the Iraqi security and military affairs, Mukhallad Hazem Al -Darb, sees that the vision is still unclear about the Turkish presence in northern Iraq.
Al -Darb assured Al -Jazeera Net that the Iraqi government should take future steps to address the party’s presence, especially in Jabal Sinjar, which is a strategic point for the vital road project that links Iraq to the countries of the world through Turkish territory.
In his opinion, the process of delivering or burning weapons by the party reflects a “good -intention”, but it needs more time, especially at the political level, in light of the complications inside it related to its multiple leaders and its previous involvement in economic activities and smuggling operations.
He pointed to the possibility of some factions retaining weapons, which justifies – from Turkey’s point of view – the continued presence of their military bases in Iraq, considering that this file will remain hostage to future agreements between Baghdad and Ankara.
In the context, Ankara has not yet issued any official statements indicating its intention to withdraw its military forces from northern Iraq. Rather, the positions of Turkish officials came to confirm the need to follow up the implementation of the decision to dissolve the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and continue to combat terrorism.
Ankara goals
The official rhetoric still links the forces’ survival with the confrontation of security threats. In previous statements in early April, the Turkish Foreign Minister confirmed Hakan Fidan The PKK “a terrorist organization threatens Türkiye and controls large areas in Iraq, especially Mount Sinjar, which reflects the continued regional threat.”
Al -Jazeera Net did not receive any response from the Turkish Foreign Ministry regarding inquiries that it has proposed related to the future of military bases in northern Iraq.
Regarding the association of the Turkish military presence in Iraq in the presence of the party, the Turkish politician and researcher in international relations, Muhannad Hafezoglu, explained that this existence was not totally linked to the confrontation of the party, although it constitutes one of his most prominent motives, but he pointed out that there are other goals that go beyond that.
Ihsanoglu added, to Al -Jazeera Net, that there are two main points in this context:
- First: It is the need to complete the process of handing the weapons of Kurdistan workers completely, which may not change the spread of Turkish forces in the short term, pointing out that this path may take weeks or even months and perhaps years.
- Second: It is Baghdad’s awareness of the existence of a regional alliance to combat terrorism that includes Iraq, Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria, which requires – according to the researcher – the continuation of the Turkish military presence, even partially.
He pointed out that these forces, in coordination with the Iraqi side, are undertaking a strategic mission of securing the “Road of Development” project to be established to link Iraq to Turkey and the Gulf states.
This was confirmed by political analyst Murad Torral, who considered that Ankara is unlikely to reconsider the existence of its military bases in northern Iraq, pointing out that this presence comes within the framework of a broader security strategy aimed at fortifying its southern borders and confronting any possible threats from armed organizations.
Torral added to Al -Jazeera Net that the Turkish leadership views northern Iraq as a region with a severe security and political sensitivity, especially in light of the overlapping of regional and international actors there.
He concluded by saying that “the Turkish bases have become part of the regional deterrence equation, and it is no longer just a tactical tool to confront the PKK.”