Akar's visit to Iraq ... Endeavor to impose new reality, Yazidis are in danger again

Surprisingly and at a time of many indications, Turkish officials, headed by Defense Minister, Hulusi Akar, and Chief of Staff, Yaşar Güler, held consultations from Baghdad to Hewlêr on January 18.

Despite the talk of the Iraqi media and the media of the Kurdistan Democratic Party about strengthening economic relations, military and security cooperation, everyone believes that this visit carries a lot with it.

Turkish race against time

About this, the director of the "Kurds Without Borders" center, Kadar Perry, said: "This visit came suddenly without the media being aware of that, or that there were plans in advance for this visit. It is certainly a continuation of the previous visits, whether they are from Iraqi commanders in Baghdad to Turkey, or from the Kurdistan Region to Turkey."

In December 2020, Iraqi Prime Minister, Mostafa Al-Kazemi, visited Turkey at the head of a high-level government delegation, and upon his arrival, he met with senior officials in Turkey, headed by Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

That visit only lasted a day, preceded by an ambitious conversation about thorny files that have been pending since decades, but it was not conclusive to these files.

The discussion was about 8 important files on the level of security, economy, investment, energy, water, railways, visas, frozen funds, and others, in addition to the Kurdish file.

Regarding the difference between the two visits, Perry explained: "What I see on this visit in particular is of a military nature, as the visit was formed by two key figures in the Turkish Ministry of War, which they call the Minister of Defense and the Chief of Staff. I think it comes in the context of the race against time for the Turkish to put some points in its favor, whether in agreement with the Iraqi state, or with the Kurdistan Regional Government of Iraq, before there is an actual direct for presidency in America."

Perry added: "We know very well the link between the Syrian and Iraqi situation in the file of the US State and Defense Ministries, so Turkey seeks to set new points, or future plans to drop the American right into the middle of them. The two parties agree to the steps that have been agreed upon."

Perry linked the Turkish moves to the change of the US administration, saying: "Everyone is waiting for the new American leadership and how to start practicing its work specifically in foreign matters in the region of Syria and Iraq. The positions so far are completely unclear. Certainly it will not be the same as before, there will be no improvisations as in the Trump era."

Perry added: "In general, the American will look for its interests in the first place. There are those who are very keen about the new Biden's administration that it will serve the Kurds, but I think that the American will serve its interests because its exit from files such as Syria and Iraq means its exit from the Middle East crisis, clearing the way for those oppose it; the Russian and the Iranian. For this there will be many changes in the American policy towards Turkey, and clear points in the face of Iranian expansion because all of the American statements say we will stand in the face of the Iranian extension, should we not make Tehran get more power,  I think the issue of manpower and geographical expansion is more dangerous than the nuclear bomb itself."

In Perry's opinion, "In general, there will be changes that I hope will be in the interest of the peoples of the region, and not be improvisational decisions as Trump did."

In his statements before the US presidential elections, Joe Biden attacked Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In January 2020, Biden described Erdogan as a "despot", criticized his actions towards the Kurds, said that the Turkish president should "pay the price" and suggested that the United States support the Turkish opposition leaders "so that they could confront and defeat Erdogan, not by way of coup d'état, but the electoral process."

Biden pledged to recognize the Armenian genocide, a hugely controversial issue for Turkey that US presidents have avoided recognizing it for a century.

In this context, Perry pointed out that "America is certainly a state of institutions, but the role of the responsible person or the president in his personality has an effective role in how to practice politics, and how to practice the American presidential implementation on the ground, whether in Syria or Iraq, so we hope that the positions will be good."

He continued in this context: "The Turkish is racing against time in order to obtain new agreements between it, Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in order to put the American under a fait accompli as they wanted. Therefore, the American would seek to have good relations with Turkey, but not at the expense of the American presence in this region because it is simply for the American, and especially after the agreements with the Russian side on gas and S-400 missiles, Turkey has become an insecure party for NATO, and specifically for America."

The results are not clear and there is something hidden

Regarding the results of the meetings, Perry said: "Until now, we have not made sure whether some of the terms have actually been agreed upon or not, but in general it became clear that Baghdad did not agree to what the Turkish side proposes, and this is also the case in the Region which has not issued any statement, except for the statements of some leaders of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, and this has not been affirmed yet."

He explained that "the results are unclear in Baghdad. They do not want to allow aggression against the Turkish side, from within Iraqi lands, and in return they want to preserve the sovereignty of the State of Iraq, that is, they do not allow the Turkish intervention as well."

Since years, Turkey has been using water as a card through which it extorts Baghdad and try to obtain political and military gains through it.

Perry added: "In all cases, Turkey has intervened for a long time and has been bombing and killing civilians, occupying parts of Iraqi lands, so the situation in Baghdad remains as it is, but with regard to the Region, the statements issued about the purpose of the visit were that there should be talk about economic matters and the development of relations, but the issue of the economy and relations is not discussed with the Turkish Defense Minister or Chief of Staff."

Perry believes that "there is something hidden, or there is evasion from the Kurdish side in the Region with the Turkish side until things are clear in Washington, or how will those appointed in the Syrian and Iraqi file begin, whether in the Pentagon or in the Foreign Ministry."

Danger is on the way

For his part, the Yazidi activist and medial professional Tahseen Sheikh Kalo believes, in an interview with our agency, that the Turkish Defense Minister discussed with Baghdad and Hewlêr officials the political and military situation in Şengal in particular, considering that "in the coming days, there is a new conspiracy and an upcoming danger against Şengal and Yazidis present in Şengal."

The Yazidi media professional added: "Every time, with the appearance of any Turkish ambassador or minister, and his visit to Iraq and Hewlêr, there is indiscriminate bombing by the Turkish aircrafts on Şengal lands, after either hours or very few days, under the pretext of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) presence in the region, and the victim every time are a group of Yazidi leaders and youth who have fought ISIS and withstood its attacks since August 3, 2014, during the ISIS attack on Şengal, meaning that the visits were followed by agreements about a green light for bombing Şengal."

Two days after the visit, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan threatened again to invade Şengal deep into Iraqi territory.

Erdogan and his authority keep killing us

Kalo believes that "the results of the visit are negative and dangerous for Şengal and Yazidis because the visits do not come except in the case of a conspiracy against us as Yazidis, as since hundreds of years ago, the Ottomans participated in the most horrific genocide campaigns against the Yazidis in Şengal and the areas in which they live, and they still launch the brutal attacks and genocidal campaigns by which they try every time to exterminate us, Erdogan and his authority continue to kill us."

On October 9, 2020, the governments of Baghdad and Hewlêr announced that they had reached an agreement on the administration of Şengal in terms of security, military and service, regardless of the desire of the Yazidi people.

Why Şengal?

On Turkey's goals of focusing on Şengal, Perry said: "After the visit, the Turkish media, and newspapers loyal to the Justice and Development Government focused a lot on Şengal? Here I and everyone wonder; what is the Turkish role in this agreement, and what is its need to talk about a point that is far from the Turkish border, what is the deal with Turkey to specifically focus on the issue of Şengal?

Perry believes that this confirms only one point which is the same Turkish plan announced about the Millî Charter, and what they want is to have an excuse everywhere to separate the Kurds in Syria and Iraq, especially the point of supplies arrival "because it is the only gate that is considered open to the Kurds, and the rest of the components in north and east Syria, as it is a besieged region from Turkey on the one hand, the terrorist organizations on the other hand, and from the regime that imposes a siege on the entire Autonomous Administration areas."

Perry pointed out that "the Turkish tries to close any air vent for the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria. Here we find how the Turkish plan is resourceful in practicing politics to eliminate not only the Kurds, but also every democratic component that demands freedom and dignity, and lives with equality. They want to return to the Ottoman era , the Turkish race and blue blood that should prevail over all."

In this context, the Yazidi media professional said: "Turkey has been seeking and trying to enter its military ground forces into Şengal since the beginning of the August 3^rd attacks under the pretext of PKK presence in the region and prosecute them, in addition to perpetrating mass extermination against Yazidis once again."

He added: "Yes, PKK entered the lands of Şengal with a human and moral intention, defended the citizens, opened a safe passage to transport thousands of Yazidis to the Syrian lands, and saved them from death at a time when everyone abandoned us without firing a single bullet."

There has been much talk about the Millî Charter over the past years by Turkish state officials, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was the first to speak about it publicly in 2016.

This was after the Iraqi side refused Turkey's participation in the operation to liberate Mosul from ISIS mercenaries, as the Turkish president replied, saying: "In Mosul, history lie to us ... and if the honorable gentlemen (the Iraqi government) want to verify this, then they should read the Millî Charter to understand the meaning of Mosul for us."

The Turks signed an agreement called the "Millî Charter" on February 28, 1920, following the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in World War I, and the fall of most of its lands at the hands of the allies

The agreement on the Millî Charter was signed by the Ottoman Envoys Council which was similar to parliament now.

The Turkish representatives agreed at the time that the Ottoman nation is an integral part, and a map of the lands that would be restored was drawn up, containing that map, in addition to the borders of the current Turkish Republic, the eastern part of Başûr Kurdistan Region, Mosul, and large parts of the areas with a Sunni Arab majority, in Syria, it included Aleppo governorate and large parts of northern Syria.

Why is Turkey hostile to PKK?

Regarding the reason for Turkey's hostility to PKK, Perry explained that "Turkey always talks about agreements with the neighboring countries, or with Russia and Iraq, or with the Kurds in Başûr Kurdistan about that they agreed to fight terrorism, and they always mention the name of ISIS, in addition to mentioning PKK, and the truth is that ISIS is within the Turkish system and within the force supported by it, this matter is not hidden from anyone, and Turkey's target is and remains PKK."

Regarding the real goals of that, the director of the Center for Kurds Without Borders emphasized that "Turkey, through its attacks on PKK, or its desperate attempt to eliminate this party is targeting the Kurdish people in its four parts with all its categories and components."

He added: "I really see it as a clear picture in front of me, if Turkey managed to eliminate PKK, and this is impossible, but we put it as a hypothesis, on the second day you will find the Turkish army forces with their mercenaries spread in the streets of Mosul, Kirkuk, Hewlêr and in all Kurdish cities, according to what the Turkish sees within the Millî Charter, they want the entire region, and they talk about Aleppo through the entire line, from the Syrian lands, to Mosul and Kirkuk, to cities and towns in northeastern Syria, and in Başûr Kurdistan or what they call northern Iraq."

Perry believes that "Iraq will not accept and previously did not accept because it is simply aware of the plans of the Turkish state, and well knows that the Turkish wants to strengthen the Turkmen, so that they take a greater leadership role in that region, join in the future and demand to join Turkey. Iraq is aware of Turkey's intentions, and knows that if PKK is eliminated by Turkey, then Turkey will have other goals that I mentioned, which is the implementation of the Turkish Millî Charter as they declared themselves."

On Turkey's escalation against PKK at this time, Perry said: "Certainly, the Turkish finds in the PKK a stumbling block in the face of its plans, whether in Northern Kurdistan (Bakur) or in the neighboring regions of the so-called Turkish state, whether in Syria or Iraq, and what we talked about in the matter of the Millî Charter, this is how the Turks aspire."

Very regrettable photos from Hewlêr

The director of the Kurds without Borders Center said about the meetings between the Turkish Minister of Defense and the officials of the Region, saying: "I am very sorry to see photos of the Turkish Defense Minister whom we call the Minister of War, and the Chief of Staff of the Turkish state with politicians, the prime minister, the head of the Region and the party. Indeed, they are very upsetting photos."

He added: "We know very well the pressures that the Region is facing from Turkey regarding the closure of the crossings and the disputes with Baghdad, and that the only outlet they have is Turkey, but they should not agree, and I think that there is evasion, in the current period or even in the future, there should not be any agreement with Turkey against any other component inside Iraq or the force present in that region, and here I am talking about PKK because I believe that the leaders of the Region are fully aware that if PKK is eliminated, the Turkish will start to liquidate them directly without awaiting."

The Kurds ... a phobia will kill Turkey and Iran

Regarding the position of the rest of the components in Iraq, Perry said: "I am sorry that I speak in this sectarian way about the components in Iraq, but this is a reality that has become present, and the Millî regime sought to impose it on Iraq, and there is a state of dispersion in the Iraqi politics, and a state of corruption which is very large, some officials only look for their interests, and there is a party that benefits from all this, in the first place Iran which is seeking not to have a Sunni revival in the face of the Iranian expansion in Iraq."

He added: "The Iranians have publicly stated that they rule Baghdad, and this is a fact. The Sunni component is forced a lot of times to practice malicious policy towards others, as was practiced against it after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime, so that the Sunnis and Sunni politicians became targets of the Iranians and are exposed to cases of revenge by the Iranians and the Iranian state under the Shiah name, and in fact they are practicing the expansionist policy of the Persian state, just using religion as a means of expansion and control."

Perry pointed out that "there is another matter regarding the Turkish-Iranian agreement, as the two sides are trying to emerge, the Iranian is the leader of the Shiite Islamic nation, and the Turkish puts itself in the place of the caliph and is the one that brings together all Muslims. We find it talking about Muslims everywhere, and in fact the two parties use religion in order to extend the influence of their countries and oppress other peoples."

He added: "There is a Turkish-Iranian agreement not only in Syria, but also in the Iraqi file, that each party should try to control the component that belongs to it. The Iranians control the Shiite situation, Iraq remains torn, and the Turks also practice this thing on the Sunnis, and the two parties remain agreed that the Kurds will not gain any of their rights."

Perry believes that "the issue of federalism in Başûr Kurdistan has become a reality, and the two parties seek to eradicate and end this federalism, we have noticed this in the matter of the referendum, as the first to move in combating the referendum were the Iranians and the Turks before the Iraqis because the referendum means the people's will and to express opinion, as freedom of opinion is a safeguarded right for all peoples of the world, but the Turkish and Iranian have this phobia which is called the Kurds that will kill them."

On the existence of a disagreement between Turkey and Iran in Iraq, Perry said: "There is a case of a Turkish-Iranian agreement on borders and controls of clash between the two parties, there may be cases that happen in order to stir up discord, but the matter will remain under control according to their agreement, i.e. their reference is Ankara and Tehran."

D.H

ANHA