Middle East round-up: The first Arab World Cup
Al JazeeraAPR 2023
Turkey continues to intensify its war against Kurdish militants in both Syria and Iraq, exploiting the weaknesses of its neighbors. Despite Syria and Iraq's own history of oppressing religious minorities, these two nations two have become distracted by Ankara's persistent military offenses within their territories. The likes of the PKK have become a convenient excuse for Turkey to invade and exercise control over Arab states, and Ankara remains adamant about continued military action — with the Yazidis sadly becoming collateral damage.
Iraq must do more to fight the PKK and recognize the group as a terrorist organization. Both Ankara and Baghdad know too well the dangers of terrorism, regardless of if there are differences in approach. Turkey continues to remain open to cooperation with Iraq in fighting the likes of the PKK, as the security of both Turkey and Iraq are by nature inseparable.