By Fazel Hawramy for Al Monitor. Any opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Iraq Business News. For about 10 years, the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which controls Erbil and Dahuk provinces in Iraq, has enjoyed close working relations with the Turkish government on trade, energy […]
By Simon Kent. Turkish President Reccip Tayyip Erdogan has announced that further withdrawals of Turkish troops are being made from Iraqi Kurdish territory following pressure from Baghdad and Washington. Baghdad had previously called the deployment of Turkish soldiers to a KDP Peshmerga base "an illegal incursion" and Barack Obama called Erdogan asking him to de-escalate tensions. […]
By Simon Kent. Iraqi Shi'a paramilitary group Kata'ib Hezbollah, or "Hezbollah Brigades" have threatened Turkish troops and Turkish interests in Iraq over the recent deployment of the Turkish army in Kurdish areas. Due to the location of Turkish troops however, the militant group is currently unable to target the Turkish army. Last week it was […]
By Simon Kent. The New York Times has reported on a Turkish incursion in the mountains of Northern Iraq to destroy Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK) positions. The incursion comes in response to a recent IED attack inside Turkey which killed 14 police officers in a mini bus. The raids--20 military strikes according to the report--have […]
Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in a historic visit today became the first Turkish premier to visit the Kurdistan Region. Together with President Masoud Barzani, they officially opened Erbil International Airport (EIA) and Turkey’s Consulate in Erbil. After welcoming Prime Minister Erdoğan and the rest of the distinguished guests, President Barzani said that he was […]
