Azerbaijan, Baku, March 24 / Trend , R. Hafizoglu/ Baghdad and Ankara's willingness to fight against PKK terrorist organization jointly shows that the organization's existence is nearing end.
"Talks between Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Iraqi President Jalal Talabani on a joint fight against PKK show that the existence of this terrorist organization is nearing end," political adviser to Iraqi vice president Khalil Al-Azrawi told Trend in a telephone conversation.
Turkish TRT television channel quoted Turkish President Abdullah Gul as saying during his flight to Iraq that everyone must do his best against PKK terrorist organization. "
"Everyone must do his best against PKK terrorist organization. My visit to Iraq shows all my support to this country", President Abdullah Gul and added that "the Kurdish government in the Northern Iraq must be responsible for the fight against PKK most of all."
The Kurd Workers Party (PKK) was established with the support of the Soviet Union in 1970s. The party committed acts of terrorism against civilians and military targets in Turkey in late 1980s. The PKK is considered to be a terrorist organization in many countries. The organization's chief goal is to establish independent Kurd state in the South-Eastern Turkey and Northern Iraq.
The center for the organization activities is Qandil mountains in the Northern Iraq. Turkish military forces are carrying out operations in these areas to destroy terrorists.
In 1988 separatist trends appeared among the Kurdish population of Iraq's Halabja town. The then Iraqi President Saddam Hussein used chemical weapons against the Halabja population to prevent the trend. The chemical weapon claimed about 1 million lives.
Despite Turkish and Iraq government have negotiated on joint fight against PKK terrorist organization on numerous occasions, the talks failed due to chaos and tension within the country.
"Unlike previous years, the situation in more stabile in Iraq at the moment. This stability will contribute to effective joint fight against the PKK by the Turkish and Iraq governments," Al-Azrawi said.
Turkish military expert Shanli Bahadir Koch said the willingness to fight the PKK can yield results.
"Willingness of new U.S. President Barack Obama to pull out troops from Iraq made this country's security dependent on neighbor states, specifically on Turkey," Koch said in a telephone conversation from Istanbul.
According to the Security Agreement signed between Baghdad and Washington in 2008 the United States will pull out troops from Iraq by late 2010. "The fight against PKK is crucial to ensure stabile situation in Iraq and put an end to Sunnite-Shiite confrontation. PKK has become common enemy of Turkey and U.S.," Koch said.
During her visit to Turkey U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton described the PKK as a common enemy and added that the U.S. is negotiating with Ankara on this issue. As result of boycott of the 2005 Iraqi parliamentary election by Sunnites, Shiite parties close to Iran won the election. Sunnites accused Shiites of acting against national interests. It marked a starting point of confrontation between Sunnites and Shiites in the country.
Germany-based Al-Iraq Press news agency director and political expert Abdullah al-Juburi said the PKK is patronized by some neighbor states. Iraq and Turkey's joint fight efforts will not be success, he said.
"Joint Ankara-Baghdad efforts can weaken infrastructure of the terrorist organization," Juburi told Trend in a telephone conversation from Hamburg. The talks will also focus on Kirkuk's status and plight of Turkmen who are subject to Kurdish government's pressure in the Northern Iraq, he said.
Unlike Iraq's many regions, Kikrkuk's status has not been determined yet. Kirkuk, inhibited by Turkmen, is rich in oil. Iraqi media reported that the Kurdish government puts pressure on Turkmen and Arabs in the Northern Iraq to flee the town.
"It would be better for Turkey not only to fight terrorist organization, but also to take steps to protect rights of Turkmens in Kirkuk," he said.
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