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PUK's ongoing support of PKK threatens security of region

In Iraq's Sulaymaniyah, the residents raise concerns about their security as the terrorist organisation's activities extend to roadblocks, kidnappings and hindering the reconstruction of villages, as well as engaging in drug trafficking.

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The PKK's Syrian offshoot, the YPG-YPJ, is identified as an integral part of the organisation, and over the course of more than 35 years, the terrorist organisation has been responsible for the loss of over 40,000 lives. /Photo: AA Archive

The PUK's support of the PKK terrorist organisation is causing security challenges in Iraq's Sulaymaniyah province, raising concerns among local residents.

The people of Sulaymaniyah express that the PUK's backing of PKK terrorists poses a significant threat not only to Iraq but also to neighbouring countries and the broader region

Jamal Abdullah, a local researcher and a writer, told Anadolu Agency that Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) is clear in its policies on the issue, “It won’t allow any armed group, which is a part of Iraq, to pose a threat to the neighbours.”

However, Abdullah criticised the PUK for not adhering to KRG regulations, asserting that the PUK's actions are not a part of KRG’s policies.

“PUK makes decisions in Sulaymaniyah, not the government,” he remarked, adding “This has created security, political and administrative chaos in Sulaymaniyah.”

“The PUK leader is ruling on his own without consulting the judiciary, the legislature and the executive,” he said.

“We cannot sacrifice our own interests to the PKK, which threatens our people within our borders,” he stressed.

“Investors cannot invest in Sulaymaniyah due to security issues because there is no political stability,” he underlined. “These reckless policies harm both the society and the government.”

PUK, PKK cooperation threatens security and stability in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq

PKK's presence in Sulaymaniyah

The terrorist organisation PKK continues to operate and maintain a foothold in and around Sulaymaniyah, benefitting from the support of the PUK, as revealed by sources in the region.

The PKK, known for its decades-long terror campaign against Türkiye and designated as a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the US, UK and EU, thrives with both political and logistical backing from the PUK.

In addition to the space opened to the PKK in the city center and countryside, the support extends to providing training to terrorists between Syria and the Qandil mountains.

The PKK terrorist group engages in illicit activities, including drug trafficking and smuggling along the Iran-Iraq border, and poses a threat to the region's population through acts of terrorism such as roadblocks, extortion, and kidnappings, using so-called checkpoints in rural areas.

According to a statement by Prime Minister Masrour Barzani of the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in February 2021, the PKK's occupation of mountains and residential areas hindered the reconstruction of 800 villages in the region.

The terrorist organisation also obstructs farmers' access to their lands.

The PKK's Syrian offshoot, the YPG-YPJ, is identified as an integral part of the organisation, adding complexity to the security situation in the region.

The persistence of the PKK's presence in Sulaymaniyah raises concerns about the ongoing security challenges in the area, impacting local communities and hindering development efforts.

Over the course of more than 35 years engaging in a campaign of terror against Türkiye, the PKK has killed over 40,000 people.