Key facts
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan praised Iraqi Kurds for their neutrality in the US-Israeli war against Iran.
- Erdogan stated that the Iraqi Kurds prevented their territory from being used as launchpads for attacks on neighboring countries.
- Kurdish officials publicly sought to distance themselves from the conflict.
- Reports indicated the CIA was arming Kurdish forces.
- Iraqi Kurdish commander Sirwan Barzani denied plans to invade Iran.
- Iranian Kurdish party leaders denied receiving US weapons.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has commended the Iraqi Kurds for their neutrality during the ongoing US-Israeli war against Iran. Erdogan praised "our brothers in the Iraqi Kurdish region" for refusing to be drawn into the conflict and for not allowing their territory to be used as a base for attacks on neighboring countries.
Erdogan stated that greater strife, which could have harmed Kurdish populations, had been prevented. He suggested that over time, the significance of the thwarted "bloody and insidious scheme" would become clearer to Turks, Kurds, Arabs, and Iranians. Throughout the conflict, Kurdish officials publicly maintained a stance of distancing themselves from the war, warning that involvement could lead to regional chaos, despite facing numerous attacks from Iran and allied Iraqi groups.