Iraq says PKK's presence is illegal, warns Turkish troops could lose their pretext to stay
Iraqi Armed Forces spokesman Sabah Numan called the PKK's presence in Iraq "illegal." He said Baghdad, the Kurdistan Region and Turkey are working together to close the PKK file, and that once the process is complete, there will be "no justification left" for Turkish forces to remain in Iraq.
RastinewsIraqi Armed Forces General Command spokesman Sabah Numan addressed the PKK, armed groups in Shengal (Sinjar), the presence of Turkish Armed Forces in Iraq and the withdrawal of the International Coalition in remarks to Kanal8.
Numan said the handover of weapons held outside state control would accelerate after the International Coalition's withdrawal on September 30.
"PKK's presence in Iraq is illegal"
Numan described the PKK's presence in Iraq as "illegal" and said a new situation had emerged with the group's disarmament process.
He said Iraq's central government, the Kurdistan Region administration and Turkey are working together to close the PKK file, adding that the process would also affect the Turkish Armed Forces' presence in Iraq.
Numan said that once the PKK file is resolved, there will be "no justification left" for Turkish forces to remain in Iraq.
Shengal to come under Baghdad's control
Numan said the disarmament of forces in Shengal is important for stability in the area, and announced that the city would come under Baghdad's "security umbrella."
He said eliminating weapons outside state control also matters for attracting foreign companies and investors to Iraq.
Numan said the weapons handover process would speed up after the coalition's withdrawal, and that the pretexts cited for armed clashes would disappear as a result.
"The Peshmerga are part of Iraq's armed forces"
Numan said the Peshmerga are a legal force under the Iraqi constitution and part of Iraq's armed forces, noting that five coordination centers exist between the Iraqi army and the Peshmerga.
He said two joint brigades have been deployed over the past two years, and that as a result there is no longer a security vacuum between areas controlled by the Iraqi army and the Peshmerga.
Air defense agreements with three countries
Numan also announced that agreements had been signed with the United States, Turkey and South Korea to purchase air defense systems to protect Iraqi airspace and oil refineries in the Kurdistan Region.
He said the systems are expected to arrive in Iraq soon, and that the country's air defense capacity would be strengthened following the International Coalition's withdrawal.
German forces serving with the coalition in Erbil have completed their mission, and some coalition facilities are to be handed over to Iraqi authorities and the Peshmerga, Numan said. Military bases are also expected to be handed over to the Iraqi Ministry of Defense once operations there conclude.