Turkish defense officials announced Thursday they are monitoring the Iranian Kurdish militant organization known as PJAK, expressing concerns about the group’s impact on regional security and stability.
The announcement follows Tuesday reports that Iranian Kurdish organizations have been in discussions with U.S. officials regarding potential operations against Iranian security forces in Iran’s western regions, according to sources who spoke with Reuters.
Turkey, which maintains NATO membership and shares a border with Iran, is currently pursuing peace negotiations with the banned Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), an Iraq-based militant organization. Turkish leadership also supports incorporating Syrian Kurdish fighters into Syria’s official government structure, making them unlikely to endorse any cooperation between Washington and Iranian Kurdish militants.
“The activities of groups that fuel ethnic separatism, such as the terrorist organization PJAK, negatively affect not only Iran’s security but also the overall peace and stability of the region,” Turkey’s defense ministry stated during their weekly press conference in Ankara.
Turkish officials confirmed that government agencies are maintaining close surveillance of the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), a banned militant organization with connections to the PKK. Both Turkey and its Western allies, including the United States and European Union nations, have classified the PKK as a terrorist organization.
