Türkiye and Iraq establish a joint security coordination center in Baghdad

According to RCO News Agency, this center is part of a memorandum of understanding that was signed at a high-level meeting in Ankara on August 15. The agreement, which represents a significant deepening of military cooperation between the two countries, comes after years of strained relations due to Turkey’s military operations against the Turkish Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants based in northern Iraq.

During a press conference regarding this agreement, Zaki Akturk, the spokesman of the Turkish Ministry of Defense, emphasized the importance of the new center for information sharing, strategic military planning and coordinated actions against terrorist organizations.

The MoU also includes the establishment of a “joint training and cooperation center” at the Bashiqa base in northern Iraq, where Turkish and Iraqi personnel will conduct military training and share their expertise. The aim of this initiative is to increase the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces in their efforts to fight terrorism and ensure the security of the region.

The ministry further explained the scope of this memorandum and stated that in addition to anti-terrorism efforts, this agreement focuses on common border security, fighting against illegal immigration, and fighting against smuggling and organized crime.

According to Reuters News agency, this memorandum represents the first historical step in the military cooperation between Türkiye and Iraq.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, after signing this agreement alongside his Iraqi counterpart, Fawad Hossein, emphasized the importance of this agreement and said that establishing a joint security coordination center and a joint training and cooperation center are fundamental steps. He added: “We believe that we can raise our cooperation to a higher level through the coordination and joint training centers planned in this agreement.”

The agreement comes after a period of improved relations between Ankara and Baghdad, which have been strained in recent years by Turkish border operations targeting the PKK in Iraq. Iraq has often criticized these operations as a violation of its sovereignty, while Turkey has defended them as protecting its national security.

It is expected that the cooperation framework outlined in this MoU will facilitate more effective joint actions against the PKK and other groups that both countries recognize as terrorist organizations. Turkey has long urged Iraq to take stronger measures against the PKK, which Turkey and its Western allies consider a terrorist organization.

Turkish Defense Minister Yashar Güler told Reuters earlier this month that the recent actions of Turkey and Iraq in the fight against terrorism are a turning point in relations, adding that Ankara wants Baghdad to go a step further and make the PKK an organization as soon as possible. terrorist.

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