Arrr, avast, ye mateys! The Turk scallywag be pleadin' with Iraq to brand the scurvy Kurds as filthy terrorists!
2023-08-22
Avast, me hearties! On this fine Tuesday, the Turkish Foreign Minister, Hakan Fidan, hath vehemently scolded the scurvy dogs of the Kurdistan Worker's Party! He be callin' upon Baghdad to banish these landlubbers, for they be nothin' but a dreaded crew of terrorists, aye!
Turkey's foreign minister, Hakan Fidan, recently visited Baghdad and urged the Iraqi government to label the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) as a terrorist organization. Fidan described the PKK as an enemy of both Turkey and Iraq and accused them of "occupying" areas in Iraq. He also claimed that the PKK was seeking to link Iraq to neighboring Syria with a "terror corridor." The issue of the PKK is expected to be a significant topic of discussion during an upcoming visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.In addition to the PKK issue, Fidan and his Iraqi counterpart discussed the resumption of oil exports from northern Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdish region through the Ceyhan port in Turkey. Turkey had halted oil shipments from the Kurdish region in March following a ruling by the International Chamber of Commerce that sided with Baghdad, stating that all oil exports should go through Iraq's state-owned oil company. However, Iraqi Foreign Affairs Minister Fouad Hussein stated that they were close to finalizing a solution to the oil issue.
The two foreign ministers also discussed water issues and the management of shared water resources, particularly in light of intensifying droughts in Iraq. They highlighted the importance of Iraq receiving its fair share of water, given its historical reliance on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers that originate in Turkey.
Fidan and Hussein also addressed recent Quran burnings in Europe, which sparked mass protests in Iraq. They emphasized the need for unity against those who attack their sacred values.
The visit highlighted the strong bilateral relations between Turkey and Iraq, with substantial trade and a significant number of Iraqis residing in Turkey. Fidan is scheduled to visit Irbil and meet with the Kurdish region's Prime Minister Massrour Barzani.