Turkey seeks intel cooperation with Iraq

Turkey launched a fresh diplomatic campaign towards its southern neighbours following the rise in the militants’ attacks since mid-July, which have killed dozens of security forces as well as civilians and pushed the government to adopt a new anti-terror strategy. The undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry, Feridun Sinirlioglu, paid a two-day trip to Iraq over the weekend. According to the diplomatic sources, the Turkish envoy’s messages to Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and the head of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government, Massoud Barzani, aimed to impress upon Iraqi Kurdish politicians Turkey’s determination at ending the terror threat posed by the PKK. Sinirlioglu reportedly made it clear that Turkey would not tolerate the militants’ seeking of shelter in northern Iraq from which they infiltrate Turkey to commit attacks. He also said Turkey would not hesitate to use self-defense if there were no halt to the attacks by the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and much of the international community. One of Turkey’s most important demands from Barzani is to cut the PKK’s logistic channels. Turkey also demanded the names of passengers flying to airports in Arbil and Sulaymaniyah from European cities in order to control the PKK’s links in European countries from which the organization receives financial assistance.