Kurdish Leader Kaka Hama criticizes Iraq-Turkiye military agreement, warns of regional conflict

Shafaq News/ The leader of the Kurdistan Democratic Socialist Party, Mohammed Haji Mahmoud, also known as Kaka Hama, sharply criticized the recent military and security agreement between Iraq and Turkiye.

In a speech on Saturday at the Gullkhana Forum under the theme of "Strategy and National Discourse in the Disputed Kurdish Territories Outside the Kurdistan Regional Government's Administration," Mahmoud expressed his concerns over the implications of the deal.

"Yesterday, the Kurdistan Region was bombed three times. In Said Sadiq district, several people were killed. This indicates that what is happening in the region is a preparation for war," Mahmoud stated during the forum.

He criticized the Iraq-Turkiye agreement, asserting that it was reached "at the expense of the Kurds." "The political forces in the Kurdistan Region should unite among themselves rather than with neighboring countries," he added.

Mahmood also warned of an impending, unwanted war in the region, stressing that the Kurds should avoid becoming entangled in a conflict they do not desire.

On August 15, after two days of high-level security talks in Ankara, Turkiye and Iraq signed an agreement focusing on military, security, and counter-terrorism cooperation, explicitly targeting the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). This agreement includes establishing joint coordination and training centers in Baghdad and Bashiqa.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, speaking alongside his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein after talks in Ankara, described the defense agreement signed by the two countries as having "historical importance." Hussein noted that the accord was "the first in the history of Iraq and Turkiye" in this field.

Notably, after signing the agreement, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler told Reuters that the recent counter-terrorism measures taken by Turkey and Iraq marked a turning point in their relations. He added that Ankara wanted Baghdad to take an additional step and officially designate the PKK as a terrorist organization as soon as possible.

The PKK, which has been involved in an insurgency against Turkiye since 1984, is considered a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the United States, and the European Union. Last March, Baghdad labeled PKK a "banned organization."