Even If You Go to “Kurdistan” in Full Force...

In 2007, when Masoud Barzani, one of the figures behind the PKK, said, “The Turkish administration does not consider me a counterpart to sit down and talk,” Erdoğan responded as follows:

“As Turkey, our counterpart cannot be Barzani... As Turkey, our counterpart is the central administration of Iraq. Therefore, we are talking to Baghdad... Furthermore, Barzani needs to make this very clear. They are in a position of harboring the terrorist organization in that region. That is the situation. It is also clear what this means in terms of international law.”

In 2008, the then-AKP Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey, Cemil Çiçek, called Barzani “a boot-licker of yesterday.” His implication was that in the past, Barzani could only interact with our lowest-ranking soldiers and beg them.

Just 4 years after these statements, Barzani was elevated to the status of “Mr.” (sayın) by Erdoğan.

When the Hamas-Israel war began last October 7, the pro-government media discovered that the reason for the US occupation of Iraq and Syria was for these days, that is, to realize the “Promised Land” (Arz-ı Mevud)!..

Yes, thanks to these two occupations, a “Barzanistan” had been established in Iraq and a “terroristan” in Syria; but somehow, they forgot that the AKP government also supported both occupations!..

It was three days ago; an influential pen in the pro-government media, while emphasizing that the “three boils in our region are the greater Israel, Shia expansionism, and the temptation of a Kurdish state,” wrote the following:

“Those who think that an independent Kurdish state is also the right of the Kurds cannot be unaware that the Kurdish state to be established in the region can never be independent... To think that a Kurdish state established under the guidance of imperialists can be independent, and to assume that this will be a benevolent initiative for the Kurds, let alone the countries and peoples of the region, means not knowing the history of colonialism experienced in the region at all!”

THEY MADE ERBIL A ROUTE

While the media—like a stopped clock—occasionally voices the truth, how much is the government, which is “renewing its trust” with the US—the owner of both the separatist terrorist organization and the Kurdistan project—in exchange for the outdated F-16 purchase, aware of what is happening? Let us briefly summarize the process after the May 14-28 elections:

One of the first tasks of Hakan Fidan, who became the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the new cabinet, was to go to Baghdad and Erbil. Following those visits in August, it was claimed that both the Iraqi administration and the Barzanis would take a clear stance against the PKK.

Four months after Fidan's visit, when 12 of our soldiers were martyred in northern Iraq, Erdoğan announced that new base areas would be established in northern Iraq with the spring, and that they would make it impossible for terrorists to set foot there again. Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan, while blaming the PUK and Bafel Talabani regarding the PKK, said the following for the KDP and the Barzanis: “We have full cooperation with Erbil in the fight against terrorism. They share our sensitivities, especially regarding the PKK. We are moving to an even better point every day in terms of cooperation with them.”

But on January 12, 9 more of our soldiers were martyred in the same region. Minister Fidan again pointed to the PUK and said that “some advanced measures would be taken” against the PUK.

According to the pro-government media; “The US and Iran are strengthening Bafel Talabani against the Barzani family, who have better relations with Turkey, and in return, Talabani was opening space for the PKK in Sulaymaniyah.”

The government must think so too; this time, MIT Chief İbrahim Kalın went to Baghdad on January 23 and to Erbil on January 28.

While it was stated that Turkey requested Iraq to recognize the PKK as a terrorist organization during Kalın's visit to Baghdad, it was noted that Prime Minister Sudani signaled that he would not oppose Turkey's operations.

It was reported that Kalın, who met with Masoud Barzani as well as Prime Minister Masrur Barzani in Erbil, discussed “issues of effective struggle against PKK terrorism.” According to the Barzani media; Masoud Barzani had “accepted” Kalın.

The comments of the pro-government media regarding Kalın's visit were as follows:

“It is seen that this visit makes the Talabani side uneasy.”

“The Barzani Family saw the US plan to make the terrorist organization the representative of the Kurds, they are standing in the right place, but Bafel Talabani insists on being in the wrong.”

How much is the Barzani family “standing in the right place” for Turkey; let us give a single example.

When the PKK martyred 22 of our soldiers in 21 days, neither Nechirvan Barzani nor Masrur Barzani condemned these attacks. But when three soldiers died in the attack on the US base in Jordan; they published messages saying, “We stand with the American people during this difficult time” and “We condemn the cowardly attack on US forces in the strongest terms.”!..

WHO IS MASOUD BARZANI AND WHAT IS HE TO YOU?

Finally, last week, Minister of National Defense Yaşar Güler was in Baghdad and Erbil with Chief of General Staff General Metin Gürak.

First, let us look at the Baghdad visit, where Güler and Gürak held numerous meetings. The Ministry of National Defense sources announced that “recent developments in the region, joint fight against terrorism, military cooperation, and the rights and interests of Iraqi Turkmens in the region” were discussed.

So, what did the Iraqi side say about the fight against the PKK? It was announced that President Latif Rashid said that “the sovereignty of Iraq must be respected,” “military violations against Iraq and the Kurdistan region must end,” and “problems between the parties must be resolved through dialogue.”

It means that Fidan and Kalın's visits to Baghdad did not work!..

As for the Erbil visit; Güler and Gürak were welcomed at the airport by the Minister of Peshmerga and the head of the Department of Foreign Relations... They met with Masoud Barzani as well as Nechirvan Barzani and Masrur Barzani, and all these meetings were again presented by the Barzani media as “they were accepted”...

What did they discuss with Masoud Barzani? “They exchanged views on regional defense and security issues”... And Minister Güler conveyed Erdoğan's greetings to Barzani!..

Did this visit, which the pro-government media presented as a “critical contact,” ensure that they recognize the PKK as a terrorist organization and decide to fight against it? Apparently, no again.

First of all, we want to draw attention to this:

Let us say that meeting with Nechirvan Barzani and Masrur Barzani is “normal.” But what is the point of wearing out the door of Masoud Barzani, who is currently only the head of the KDP? What kind of foreign policy understanding is it for the “boot-licker” of yesterday, and a mere party leader of today, to be considered a counterpart by both the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the MIT Chief, the Minister of National Defense, and the Chief of General Staff?

What we are saying is; even if those who govern our country go to Erbil not one by one, but in full force, they either did not understand that the Barzanis will not accept the PKK as a terrorist organization and will not engage in a fight against it, or they are just consoling us with such visits!..

IS THIS WHERE THIS PATH LEADS?

The fact that the KDP, which the government considers a “friend,” and the PUK, which it declared a “foe,” are cooperating in Kirkuk, the Turkmen city that Barzani calls the “heart of Kurdistan”...

The fact that the US is preparing to open the world's largest consulate, which it built in Erbil, in 2025...

While the Iraqi administration wants the US forces to withdraw from Iraq, the Barzanis want them to stay...

And the fact that some members of the US House of Representatives have started to talk about “recognizing the independence of Kurdistan,” does this not show what stage the siege around us has reached?!