The visit follows a high-level meeting between Turkish and Iraqi officials in Ankara last December, where all aspects of security issues were discussed.

The PKK has been launching attacks against Türkiye from its headquarters and training facilities in northern Iraq. In late December and early January, the PKK killed 21 Turkish troops in three separate attacks. Türkiye retaliated by eliminating hundreds of PKK members in northern Iraq and Syria.

Kalın informed Iraqi officials about Türkiye's ongoing military operations in northern Iraq, codenamed Operation Claw-Lock, launched in 2019 to eradicate terrorist threats. He stressed that the operations will continue in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter, which allows for self-defense.

Türkiye is also concerned about the PKK's growing influence in northern Iraq, particularly in Sulaymaniyah under the control of the Kurdistan Patriotic Union (PUK), and in Sinjar province on the border with Syria. (ILKHA)