ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani on Tuesday discussed border security and reiterated Baghdad’s commitment to protecting Syria’s territorial integrity in a phone call with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, in the wake of recent escalations in the neighboring country.
Sudani told Erdogan that Iraq will not "stand idly by to watch the dangerous repercussions taking place in Syria, especially the ethnic cleansing of components and sects there, stressing that Iraq has previously been harmed by terrorism… and extremist organizations controlling areas in Syria,” according to a readout of the phone call released by Sudani’s media office.
Syrian opposition armed groups, led by Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), launched a surprise offensive against the Syrian army in Aleppo and Idlib countryside on Wednesday, triggering one of the bloodiest escalations in the Syrian civil war in years. The clashes have claimed the lives of over 400 people in less than a week, according to a war monitor.
Sudani added that Iraq "will make every effort to preserve its security and that of Syria.”
"The call witnessed an emphasis on the importance of joint coordination between the two sides, and the necessity of supporting security and stability in Syria, as it directly affects the security and stability of Iraq and all countries of the region,” according to the readout.
The rebel offensive has stirred concern in political and security circles in neighboring Iraq, with Baghdad officials voicing apprehension over the escalations and their repercussions for Iraq.
Hence, Iraq on Monday deployed additional armored units to fortify its international borders, with the interior ministry claiming that the country’s borders with Syria are “impenetrable”.
According to a statement by the Turkish Presidency, Erdogan told Sudani that Turkery’s "priority is to maintain calm along its borders and avoid harm to civilians,” and reaffirmed Ankara’s "commitment to Syria’s unity, stability, and territorial integrity, highlighting alignment with Iraq on this matter.”
The Turkish Presidency’s statement detailed Erdogan told Sudani that the Syrian regime should "engage in a genuine political process” to prevent further deterioration of the situation.
The statement by the Iraqi prime minister’s office did not mention the two sides had discussed the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), but that of the Turkish Presidency stated that Erdogan said Ankara would prevent “the PKK and its affiliates from exploiting developments.”
Since 2016, Turkey has carried out a large number of military operations against US-backed Kurdish forces, notably the Peolpe’s Protection Units (YPG), in coordination with Syrian opposition groups, in northern Syria, on grounds that they are an extension of the PKK, and pose security threats to Turkey’s borders.
Parallel to the HTS attack, Turkey-backed rebel groups on Sunday seized Tal Rifaat, a town north of Aleppo, and the surrounding villages from the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which the YPG is part of. Tal Rifaat lies just outside Turkey's "security zone”.
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