Turkey is stepping up pressure on the Iraqi government to take concrete measures against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), warning that the group’s entrenched presence in northern Iraq has become a major regional security concern.

In an interview with CNN Türk, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said recent developments in Syria have shifted Ankara’s strategic focus toward Iraq, where the PKK maintains strongholds, particularly in the Sinjar area near the Syrian border.

“The PKK is an organization established against Turkey, but it does not occupy territory inside Turkey,” Fidan said. “In Iraq, however, it is occupying vast areas of land.” He questioned how a sovereign state could allow an armed group to operate freely within its borders.

Fidan acknowledged that Iraqi officials have long recognized the PKK as a problem but argued that Baghdad’s position has remained largely rhetorical over the past five years. He said discussions with Iraqi authorities have become more serious under Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, but stressed that this must be followed by decisive action.

According to Fidan, Iraq has the military capacity to confront the PKK, citing the presence of the Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi) around Sinjar. He said he has held approximately 20 meetings with Hashd al-Shaabi chief Falih al-Fayyad and suggested that a coordinated operation could rapidly dismantle PKK positions.

“If Hashd al-Shaabi advances on the ground while we conduct air operations, this would take two or three days,” Fidan said, describing such an operation as militarily straightforward. He criticized Baghdad for not treating the PKK’s presence as a primary national security threat.

Turkey has carried out repeated air and ground operations against PKK targets in northern Iraq for years, saying the actions are necessary to prevent cross-border attacks. Iraq has frequently condemned these operations as violations of its sovereignty, while also facing challenges in asserting control over remote mountainous regions.

Fidan also commented on broader Iraqi politics, stating that Turkey neither supports nor opposes any Iraqi leader who comes to power through legitimate processes. However, he noted lingering concerns over the tenure of former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, adding that US President Donald Trump’s previously expressed opposition to al-Maliki could influence Iraqi political calculations.

Highlighting Washington’s influence, Fidan pointed to continued US oversight of Iraqi oil revenues through a United Nations mechanism, saying the Iraqi economy remains heavily dependent on monthly dollar inflows routed through New York.

“If a certain amount of dollars does not come from New York to Iraqi banks every month, the Iraqi economy has no chance of functioning,” he said. “The United States has many levers in its hands.”

The PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, has been based in northern Iraq since the 1990s. Sinjar has emerged as a particularly sensitive flashpoint, involving regional powers and rival Iraqi armed groups, and remains a key point of tension in Ankara–Baghdad relations.