Turkey's 'Terror' Gambit: Old Play, New Stage
THE CLAIM: Turkey, through its Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, publicly stated that after ongoing operations in Syria, their focus would 'naturally shift' to Iraq to confront the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). This, apparently, is a reasonable assertion to make about a sovereign nation and their internal affairs. THE EVIDENCE: Fidan's remarks were made during a live interview on CNN Türk, leaving
little room for misinterpretation. (The New Arab, 2026) The Iraqi Foreign Ministry summoned the Turkish ambassador, expressing strong condemnation of these statements as a 'violation of Iraqi sovereignty'. This isn't just a polite disagreement; it's a diplomatic rebuke indicating profound alarm. Curiously, the Turkish government consistently claims these operations are solely against the PKK,
which they designate a terrorist organization. Yet, the scope and scale of military interventions often extend far beyond specific PKK camps, impacting civilian populations and infrastructure. THE CONTRADICTIONS: Turkey frames its presence in northern Iraq as a necessary measure for national security. However, this 'necessity' rarely involves genuine cooperation with the Iraqi central government,
instead operating unilaterally. One might wonder why a sovereign nation would need to be informed via a televised interview about impending military action on its own soil. The PKK's presence in Iraq is indeed a challenge for Baghdad. However, Turkey's expansive definition of 'PKK threat' often includes a broader range of Kurdish groups and political aspirations that are not directly affiliated or