ANKARA: Turkey and Iraq have signed a memorandum of understanding on navy, safety and counter-terrorism cooperation, Turkish Overseas Minister Hakan Fidan mentioned on Thursday, after two days of high-level safety talks in Ankara.
The neighbouring international locations have lately been at loggerheads over Ankara’s cross-border navy operations towards the outlawed Kurdistan Staff Occasion (PKK) militants primarily based in northern Iraq’s mountainous area.
Iraq has mentioned the operations violate its sovereignty, however Ankara says they’re wanted to guard itself.
Ties have improved since final yr, after they agreed to carry high-level talks on safety issues, and after a go to in April by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to Baghdad, the place he mentioned relations had entered a brand new section.
Ankara and Baghdad held a fourth spherical of conferences this week as a part of the dialogue mechanism. In March, Iraq labelled the PKK a “banned organisation in Iraq” – a transfer welcomed by Turkey.
Fidan, talking alongside his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein following their talks in Ankara, mentioned the accord signed by the defence ministers of both facet carried “historic significance”, whereas Hussein mentioned it was “the primary within the historical past of Iraq and Turkey” on this discipline.
“Via the joint coordination and coaching centres deliberate on this settlement, we imagine we are able to take our cooperation to the following degree,” Fidan mentioned.
“We need to advance the understanding we’re creating with Iraq on counter-terrorism via concrete steps on the bottom,” he added.
A Turkish diplomatic supply mentioned that, with the settlement, a Joint Safety Coordination Centre can be established in Baghdad together with a Joint Coaching and Cooperation Centre in Bashiqa. Hussein, talking in regards to the Bashiqa coaching camp, mentioned “the onus will lie on the Iraqi armed forces”, with out elaborating.
On Monday, Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler informed Reuters that latest steps taken by Turkey and Iraq on counter-terrorism marked a turning level in ties, including Ankara wished Baghdad to go a step additional and label the PKK a terrorist organisation as quickly as doable.
The PKK, which has been waging an insurgency towards the Turkish state since 1984, is designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the European Union. Greater than 40,000 folks have been killed within the battle.
The neighbouring international locations have lately been at loggerheads over Ankara’s cross-border navy operations towards the outlawed Kurdistan Staff Occasion (PKK) militants primarily based in northern Iraq’s mountainous area.
Iraq has mentioned the operations violate its sovereignty, however Ankara says they’re wanted to guard itself.
Ties have improved since final yr, after they agreed to carry high-level talks on safety issues, and after a go to in April by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to Baghdad, the place he mentioned relations had entered a brand new section.
Ankara and Baghdad held a fourth spherical of conferences this week as a part of the dialogue mechanism. In March, Iraq labelled the PKK a “banned organisation in Iraq” – a transfer welcomed by Turkey.
Fidan, talking alongside his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein following their talks in Ankara, mentioned the accord signed by the defence ministers of both facet carried “historic significance”, whereas Hussein mentioned it was “the primary within the historical past of Iraq and Turkey” on this discipline.
“Via the joint coordination and coaching centres deliberate on this settlement, we imagine we are able to take our cooperation to the following degree,” Fidan mentioned.
“We need to advance the understanding we’re creating with Iraq on counter-terrorism via concrete steps on the bottom,” he added.
A Turkish diplomatic supply mentioned that, with the settlement, a Joint Safety Coordination Centre can be established in Baghdad together with a Joint Coaching and Cooperation Centre in Bashiqa. Hussein, talking in regards to the Bashiqa coaching camp, mentioned “the onus will lie on the Iraqi armed forces”, with out elaborating.
On Monday, Turkish Defence Minister Yasar Guler informed Reuters that latest steps taken by Turkey and Iraq on counter-terrorism marked a turning level in ties, including Ankara wished Baghdad to go a step additional and label the PKK a terrorist organisation as quickly as doable.
The PKK, which has been waging an insurgency towards the Turkish state since 1984, is designated a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and the European Union. Greater than 40,000 folks have been killed within the battle.
