By Emrah Roni Mira
International Relations Expert
Turkey – Iraq relations have experienced serious political crises from time to time due to reasons such as Turkey’s cross-border operations in Iraq, the continued presence of the PKK in Iraq which Turkey considers a terrorist organisation, and Turkey’s Bashiqa Military Base in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region. However, Turkey-Iraq relations softened and became closer after the Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shiya al-Sudani, who came to the government on 27 October 2022, started to serve as prime minister. During the Sudani period, many important new agreements were signed between the two countries, such as new water agreements and the ‘development road’ project. However, the clearest example of rapprochement is the memorandum of understanding on military and security cooperation and the fight against terrorism signed between the two countries on 15 August 2024. This agreement shows that relations between Turkey and Iraq have entered a new era.
It is clearly seen that there is a closer relationship between the two countries under Sudani compared to the previous periods. Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiya al-Sudani attaches more importance to the issues that Turkey is sensitive to than the previous Iraqi Prime Ministers. The PKK’s military and political presence in Iraq, which is the most important security problem for Turkey, has become an important problem between the two countries. The settlement and structuring of the PKK and its Iraqi extension organisations in Iraq was ignored by Iraq. In fact, the YBŞ (Shengal Resistance Units), the Iraqi branch of the PKK, received support from Hashd al-Shaabi and was supported economically by the Iraqi government during the Haydar al-Abadi period (Yeni Şafak, 2024; Rudaw, 2021). The PKK issue, which has been on the agenda between the two countries in almost every period, including the period of Haider al-Abadi, was seen as an important security issue between the two countries during the Sudani period and important steps were taken to resolve it. Two security summits were held between the two countries, the first in Ankara on 19 December 2023 and the second in Baghdad on 14 March 2024, with the participation of many high-ranking military and security officials of the two countries, including Hakan Fidan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, and Fuad Hussein, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq. In response to Turkey’s security concerns, the Iraqi government has made many legislative changes in line with Turkey’s demands. Accordingly, the Iraqi government took harsh measures against the presence of the PKK in Iraq, which Turkey regards as a terrorist organisation, and placed the PKK on the list of banned organisations in Iraq. In addition to this, Prime Minister Sudani ordered that the term ‘banned organisation’ should be used for the PKK in official correspondence (Karaalp, 2024a). In addition, the Iraqi Federal Supreme Court closed down 3 official political parties (Ezidi Democrat and Freedom Party, Democratic Struggle Front Party and Kurdistan Freedom Movement Party) that had relations with the PKK in line with Turkish demands. Especially the Kurdistan Freedom Movement Party (Tevgera Azadi) is a party with influence in Kirkuk. The positive steps taken by the Iraqi government on the PKK issue are seen as steps of softening and rapprochement in relations with Turkey.
Another important issue between the two countries is Turkey’s cross-border military operations in Iraq and the Bashiqa military base in the Kurdistan Region. Turkey’s cross-border military operations to end the PKK’s military presence in Iraq and the establishment of a military base in Bashiqa in agreement with the Kurdistan Region government caused heavy reactions from Iraqi politicians. Haider al Ibadi, the Iraqi prime minister at the time, stated that Turkey should not interfere in Iraq’s internal affairs and that Turkey’s adventure (operations) could lead to a regional war. In addition, the Iraqi Parliament made an official statement stating that it did not accept Turkey’s military base in Bashiqa and labelled Turkish troops as ‘occupying forces’ (BBC Turkish, 2016). In addition, the Iraqi government called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council and brought the Bashiqa military base crisis with Turkey to the United Nations (Milliyet, 2016). Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Ibadi was harshly criticised by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with the words ‘’… You are not my interlocutor, you are not at my level, you are not at my quality, your shouting and calling from Iraq is not important for us at all, we will do what we know, you should know that. Who is this? The Prime Minister of Iraq. Know your place first…‘’ (Al Jazeera, 2016). In addition, the Turkish Foreign Ministry condemned the Iraqi parliament (BBC Turkish, 2016).
Although the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the Bashiqa military base has been on the agenda from time to time, this situation has not been officialised until now. However, thanks to the good relations established during the Sudani period, trust between the two countries was restored. During this period, many high-level political meetings were held between the two countries at the level of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the head of the National Intelligence Organisation. As a result of the atmosphere of trust, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan visited Iraq with a large delegation on 22 April 2024, 12 years later, and re-established bilateral relations at the highest level. At the joint press conference following Erdoğan’s visit to Baghdad, Sudani mentioned the security cooperation between the two countries and stated that ‘the security of Iraq and Turkey is an indivisible whole’ (Karaalp, 2024b). Security cooperation, which was brought to the agenda at the highest level during Erdoğan’s April visit, became official in August 2024. On 15 August 2024, the ‘Memorandum of Understanding on Military, Security Cooperation and Fight against Terrorism’ was signed between the two countries. With this agreement, it was agreed that the Bashiqa Military Base, where Turkish soldiers were stationed, which caused problems between Turkey and Iraq from time to time, would be transferred to the Iraqi Armed Forces and a Turkey-Iraq Joint Training and Cooperation Centre would be established there.
In conclusion, Turkey-Iraq relations have gained momentum during the Iraqi Prime Minister Sudani’s term (within two years) and a important military and security agreement has been signed. This situation shows that military and security co-operation between the two countries will increase in the coming years. New possibilities for co-operation, such as the organisation of joint borderline operations for border security between the two countries or the introduction of new bans against the PKK’s civilian structures in Iraq, may emerge in the future. Especially the new steps taken and to be taken by Iraq on the PKK issue will be one of the most important areas of military and security cooperation between the two countries. However, in order for these steps not to be interrupted, the Muhammad Shiya al-Sudani government must remain in power in Iraq. Because staying in power in Iraq is a very difficult political equation. In addition, in an environment where Iraq and Turkey are getting closer, Iranian influence on Iraq should not be ignored. Because recently, Iran’s influence was clearly seen in the discussions on the appointment of the governor of Kirkuk and the Kurdish candidate of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Party, supported by Iran but not supported by Turkey, was appointed as the governor of Kirkuk. The Sudani government should avoid any situation that would spoil the rapprochement between Iraq and Turkey. This is because further rapprochement between Iraq and Turkey is difficult to overlap with Iran’s regional policies.
© 2024 Argumentum
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References
ALJazeera.(2016).‘‘Erdoğan’danİbadi’ye:Haddinibil’’. https://www.aljazeera.com.tr/haber/erdogandan-ibadiye-haddini-bil
BBC Türkçe. (2016). ‘‘Irak Başbakanı Haydar El İbadi’den Türkiye’ye ‘bölgesel savaş’ uyarısı’’. https://www.bbc.com/turkce/haberler-turkiye-37561778
Karaalp, Haydar. (2024a). ‘‘Irak hükümeti, resmi yazışmalarda PKK için “yasaklı örgüt” ifadesi kullanılması talimatı verdi’’. Anadolu Ajansı, https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/dunya/irak-hukumeti-resmi- yazismalarda-pkk-icin-yasakli-orgut-ifadesi-kullanilmasi-talimati-verdi/3283172
Karaalp, Haydar. (2024b). ‘‘Irak Başbakanı Sudani: Irak ve Türkiye’nin güvenliği bölünmez bir bütündür’’. Anadolu Ajansı, https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/dunya/irak-basbakani-sudani-irak-ve-turkiyenin- guvenligi-bolunmez-bir-butundur/3199183
Milliyet.(2016).‘‘Irak, Türkiye ile Başika krizini Birleşmiş Milletler’e taşıdı’’. https://www.milliyet.com.tr/dunya/irak-turkiye-ile-basika-krizini-birlesmis-milletlere-tasidi-2322512 Rudaw. (2021). ‘PKK’ye yakın örgütten Irak ordusuna sert yanıt! ’’. https://www.rudaw.net/turkish/kurdistan/0104202114
Yeni Şafak. (2024). ‘‘PKK’nın en kritik yapısıydı’’. https://www.yenisafak.com/gundem/pkknin-en- kritik-yapisiydi-4639469
