ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Senior Iraqi and Turkish officials met in Antalya on Sunday, where they discussed cooperation against the “mutual threat” of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Syria’s Kurdish-held camps housing families of the Islamic State (ISIS) fighters, according to a joint statement.
A high-level Iraqi delegation, which included Kurdistan Region’s Interior Minister Reber Ahmed, met with Turkish officials in Antalya on Sunday to hold the fifth security meeting with Turkish counterparts. Similar meetings have been held in both countries in recent years, mainly focusing on the PKK and border security.
“Both sides affirmed their determination to increase coordination and cooperation in all bilateral areas, including military, border security, counter-terrorism, defense industries, energy, water, and the Development Road project,” read the joint statement published by Iraq’s foreign ministry.
The Development Road Project is a large-scale infrastructure plan to connect the Persian Gulf with Turkey by constructing highways and rail links from southern Iraq to the Turkish border.
“In light of the common threat posed by the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to both countries, the meeting emphasized the importance of implementing Abdullah Ocalan's call to resolve the Kurdistan Workers' Party and disarm it. In this regard, both sides reaffirmed their joint desire to maintain coordination and existing cooperation against this common threat,” added the statement.
In late February, Ocalan called on his followers to lay down their arms and dissolve the party which has been in a decades-long conflict with the Turkish state. The PKK commander on the battlefield has accepted the call but set an in-person meeting with Ocalan as a precondition.
While the PKK has accused Turkey of continuing attacks despite its unilateral ceasefire, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the group must disband “without further delay.”
In March 2024, Iraq formally banned the PKK - a move welcomed by Ankara - although Baghdad has stopped short of designating the group as a terrorist organization despite Turkish pressure.
The Sunday statement also noted that “the two sides discussed the necessity of forming a joint committee to address” the situation in northeast Syria’s al-Hol and Roj camps, referring to “the urgent need to find a solution” for detainees there.
Roj and al-Hol camps, both located in Syria’s Hasaka province, house tens of thousands of individuals, mainly Iraqis and Syrians, with ties to the Islamic State (ISIS). The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which control the area, have warned of the continued threat of radicalization within the camps. Iraq has repatriated around half of its citizens in batches, placing them in rehabilitation programs prior to reintegration.
In January, Fidan called on the Syrian government to assume control of all camps and detention centers currently under SDF authority. The SDF, which holds around 10,000 ISIS fighters in custody, has continued to raise concerns about security and potential resurgence of ISIS cells.
Turkey considers the backbone of the SDF - the People’s Protection Units (YPG) - the Syrian wing of the PKK.
In March, Erdogan welcomed a “landmark deal” between the SDF and Syria’s new leadership, calling it a win for “all our Syrian brothers.” The agreement aims to integrate the SDF into Syrian state institutions.
The Turkish-Iraqi joint statement announced on Sunday that Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani is scheduled to visit Turkey on May 8 to “hold the fourth meeting of the Higher Strategic Cooperation Council.”
