Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Keçeli: Minister Fidan's remarks were distorted by Iraqi media

Keçeli shared a post on his X social media account regarding the reflections in the Iraqi media of Foreign Minister Fidan's statements about Iraq during an interview on a television channel.

Writing, "It is understood that some of the statements made by our Minister in an interview on a television channel on February 9, 2026, have been distorted by certain media outlets in Iraq," Keçeli stated that they have emphasized on every occasion that they aim to further advance the institutional, constructive, and productive cooperation established with Iraq in almost every field, including security and counter-terrorism, in the coming period.

Keçeli included the statement, "The remarks made by our Minister in the aforementioned interview were intended to draw attention to the threat posed by the PKK terrorist organization, which is nested in parts of Iraqi territory, particularly in Sinjar, Makhmour, and Qandil, to the territorial integrity and security of Iraq, based on this understanding of cooperation."

The Foreign Ministry Spokesperson noted that Fidan underlined the determination to completely clear the terrorist organization from Iraqi territory, just as in Syria, and the necessity of continuing and increasing the existing cooperation with the Iraqi administration in this field.

Emphasizing that they reject the distortion of Minister Fidan's statements by certain circles, who have taken them out of context and claimed that they constitute interference in Iraq's internal affairs, Keçeli stated, "On this occasion, we reiterate our support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our neighbor, Iraq."

STATEMENT MADE BY MINISTER FİDAN

In an interview on CNN Türk on February 9, Foreign Minister Fidan said regarding the presence of the PKK terrorist organization in Iraq, "There is also an Iraqi leg to this issue. After the Syrian leg is finished, there is the Iraqi leg. Hopefully, they will learn a lesson from what happened here in Iraq and make a smarter decision, and the transition there will be easier."

Fidan had emphasized that the Iraqi government would have to demonstrate a will regarding the PKK and that the structure in Sinjar could not and should not remain there.

Regarding the organization's presence spreading across the region, Fidan assessed, "The PKK is an organization established against Turkey, but there is no area in Turkey that it occupies or can occupy. However, in contrast, it occupies very large tracts of land in Iraq. It occupies in Syria. The problem has become your problem rather than mine. What kind of sovereign state are you that you allow its existence in this way?"

Fidan stated that the surroundings of Sinjar are encircled by Hashd al-Shaabi elements, saying, "When Hashd al-Shaabi advances on the ground and we conduct an air operation, the event lasts 2 or 3 days. It doesn't take much longer. It is such a simple military operation."

"The Iraqi government is in a position that allows its own territory to be occupied by another armed element. It does not perceive this as a national security threat to itself. Whose national security threat does it see it as? I don't know. 6-7 years ago, it was directed at Turkey. Now, such an issue does not exist in practice," Fidan said, pointing out that there are other balances within the country.