Key facts
- Turkey has urged Iran to halt attacks on Kurdish groups in northern Iraq.
- Ankara fears these attacks could push Kurdish groups towards Israel.
- Iranian forces are believed to be responsible for recent strikes on Kurdish groups in Iraq.
- Kurdish groups deny involvement in any plan to overthrow the Iranian government or engage in conflict with the US.
- Iran views these Kurdish groups as a threat, despite their smaller numbers compared to Iranian security forces.
Turkey has urged Iran to cease its attacks on Iranian Kurdish groups based in northern Iraq, expressing concern that these actions could push the groups towards Israel and potentially destabilize the region. The strikes come amid broader US-Iran tensions, with Iran also believed to be targeting Kurdish opposition parties operating outside its borders.
Keywan Faramarzi, an international relations officer for the Komala party, reported that recent attacks on bases in Iraqi Kurdistan had resulted in the deaths of 10 fighters, and he blamed Iran for these actions. Despite these attacks, Kurdish groups, including Komala and the Kurdistan Freedom Party (PAK), have denied any involvement in plots to overthrow the Iranian government or in any proposed ground operations by the US. They assert that claims of their military involvement in the US-Iran conflict are media speculation.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has previously stated that Israel and the US plotted to destabilize Iran using Kurdish groups. However, Kurdish representatives maintain their neutrality in the US-Iran conflict and deny receiving weapons for such purposes. Although the combined numbers of Kurdish fighters are significantly smaller than Iran's security forces, Iran continues its attacks, indicating it still perceives these groups as a threat. Faramarzi suggested that Iran's objective is to weaken the political and organizational capacity of these groups and send a message to all opposition forces.