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Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Monday pressed the Iraqi government to demonstrate political will in addressing the PKK terror group's presence on its territory, arguing that the group now poses a greater problem for Baghdad's sovereignty than for Ankara.
Speaking during a live television interview on CNN Turk, Fidan emphasized that Iraq must confront the reality of armed organizations operating within its borders. When asked whether Iraq would reach the point of saying "I am a sovereign state, there cannot be an armed organization within my territory," Fidan responded with a single word: "Yes."
The foreign minister noted that Iraq's government has only rhetorically acknowledged the PKK problem over the past five years, beginning when former Prime Minister Mustafa Kazimi took office. He said the issue has gained more prominence in Baghdad under current Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, with the PKK increasingly becoming a central concern in National Security Council meetings.
Fidan framed the issue as fundamentally a challenge to Iraqi sovereignty rather than solely a Turkish security concern. "The PKK is an organization established against Türkiye, but it does not occupy any area in Türkiye that it can hold," he said. "But in Iraq, by contrast, it occupies very large pieces of land. It occupies in Syria. The problem has become your problem rather than mine. What kind of sovereign state are you that you allow its existence in this way?"
The minister specifically addressed the PKK structure in Sinjar, stating that the organization in that area cannot and should not remain. He emphasized that the Iraqi government will have to show political resolve on the PKK issue, signaling Ankara's expectation that Baghdad must move beyond rhetoric to concrete action.
Fidan said the "terror-free Türkiye" process is advancing successfully with significant developments in Syria regarding the YPG. He indicated that progress in Syria creates conditions for addressing what he described as the "Iraq leg" of the counterterrorism effort.
"There is also an Iraq leg to this matter. The Iraqi government has to make a decision on this issue," Fidan said, suggesting Türkiye views the elimination of PKK presence in Iraq as the next necessary phase following Syrian developments.
The foreign minister emphasized that Türkiye remains committed to peace and diplomacy in addressing regional challenges, even as he outlined expectations for Iraqi action against groups Ankara designates as terrorist organizations.
During the same interview, Fidan also addressed ongoing nuclear negotiations between the United States and Iran, warning that "the region cannot bear a new war that would break out." He revealed that nuclear talks originally proposed for Istanbul were moved to Oman at Tehran's request to maintain a pre-existing negotiation framework.
Fidan explained that Iran's leadership decided to continue negotiations within the established Oman format, which had predetermined rules regarding location, format and participating parties. "In this mechanism, there were a few issues that had been previously formalized regarding the negotiations - in terms of location, modality, and parties involved," he said.
Ankara had proposed a different approach, with Fidan stating: "Our proposal was different: 'Meet face-to-face with Iranian officials and Americans, don't talk through a mediator in side rooms.'" Despite Türkiye's preference for direct negotiations, he emphasized support for the successful conclusion of the Oman talks.
In a notably tense moment, the foreign minister remained completely silent when asked whether Türkiye should acquire nuclear weapons. Host Ahmet Hakan attempted to provide an escape route, suggesting Fidan could say "no comment," but the minister continued his silence without responding. Hakan eventually moved on to the next question.
Fidan flatly rejected the possibility that Iran's government could be toppled through aerial bombardment when asked directly, responding with a simple "no." He added that he spoke with his Iranian counterpart Arakci earlier Monday, demonstrating active diplomatic engagement as regional tensions continue.
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