Turkey, Iran reportedly ready major operation against PKK in Iraq

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey and Iran are preparing to carry out a joint military operation against the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) militants in the north of Iraq, Turkish media reports suggest.

The two countries have reportedly reached a final agreement on the issue, but no exact date for the launch of the operation is available for now.

According to a Turkish source, Iran too is determined to implement the offensive in Qandil, Northern Iraq where the PKK's stronghold is situated.

Besides, "the PKK is a threat to Iran's border," the article says.

As reported earlier, Turkey and Iran have agreed to boost military cooperation after talks in Ankara between the Iranian armed forces chief of staff and Turkish leaders, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's spokesman said in mid-August.

The PKK, designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union, and United States, has waged a three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state, and the government has ramped up operations targeting the militants since the collapse of a ceasefire in 2015.