Turkey, Iraq plan joint offensive against Kurdish rebels
Mar 8, 2018
Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says Turkey and Iraq could conduct a joint military operation against Kurdish rebels in Iraq
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says Turkey and Iraq could conduct a joint military operation against Kurdish rebels in Iraq.
Cavusoglu told reporters in Vienna during a news conference with his Austrian counterpart Thursday that the operation could start after Iraq holds its elections on May 12.
Turkey frequently launches cross-border operations into the northern Iraq in pursuit of militants from the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, who maintain bases there.
The plans for a joint offensive follow a Turkish-Iraqi rapprochement stemming from both countries' strong opposition to a Sept. 25 referendum in Iraq's Kurdish region that resulted in a yes vote for separation from Baghdad.
Turkey is currently engaged in a cross-border offensive in Syria to drive out Kurdish fighters it considers to be an extension of the PKK.
