The relations Turkey has entered into with Iraq within the scope of the “Development Path Project” are gradually evolving into a military area. The relations being developed are being shaped on the basis of opening different fronts against the Kurdistan Freedom Movement. The agreement reached between Ankara and Baghdad under the name of “Memorandum of Understanding” in recent days has paved the way for Turkish troops to be sent to Baghdad. An official cover has been found for practices ranging from military deployments to village evacuations in South Kurdistan. The KDP’s Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, who declared that Iraq has entered a new period, has also been the spokesperson for this situation.

From joint operations room to joint command

The military, political and diplomatic initiatives previously developed within the scope of the “Joint Operations Room” in the field of South Kurdistan and Iraq for the Kurdistan Freedom Movement have entered a different phase with the agreement reached between the two governments. A joint coordination center was established between the two forces centered in Baghdad and Bashiqa in the Iraqi field, and the implementation of the policies was initiated.

The Turkish army will also be deployed in the capital of Iraq within the scope of the clause of the 4th article of the agreement; 'a joint security center will be established in Baghdad, which will be affiliated with the joint operations command'.

Articles 5 and 6

The establishment of a military committee in Article 5 of the agreement and the parties sharing intelligence information within the scope of Article 6 reveal the scope of Ankara’s annexation policy. With these articles, the Turkish army’s military transfers to South Kurdistan for months, the establishment of new bases, the evacuation of villages and the plundering of the region’s geography are being tried to be complied with international law.

The Turkish state has also been cautious against government changes in Iraq and has kept the agreement valid for one year.

New names involved

The new development that will also bring about many changes in the field is the members of the “Joint Operations Room”; The meeting took place among figures such as Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, MIT Undersecretary Ibrahim Kalın, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hüseyin, Kurdistan Region Interior Minister Rêber Ehmed, Iraqi Defense Minister Sabit Abbasi, and Iraqi National Security Advisor Qasim Ereci's acting head of the intelligence service, Waqqas Muhammed Hüseyin al-Hadithi.

Bashiqa

The Republic of Turkey, which made official its military presence in the city of Bashiqa in Mosul, which is against international law, with the diplomatic discourse that ‘it will be transferred to Iraq’, has also thrown the ball into Iraq’s court on this issue. The fact that land belonging to Iraq will be “transferred to Iraq” remains a separate issue. In addition, with this phrase, the responsibility of the Bashiqa base, which is occasionally targeted by Shiite forces, against possible attacks has been left to Baghdad.

In parallel, channels such as Habertürk and CNN, which have been broadcasting programs aimed at the propaganda of the agreement for days, are trying to give clues implying that the Republic of Turkey will not leave Bashiqa but settle there even more. In fact, messages are being given that the Republic of Turkey can apply the same model in the places it occupies in Syria and Rojava.

Turkish troops could enter Baghdad

While the Sudani government aligns itself with Ankara’s policies in return for promises of energy and economic needs, the foundation for the deployment of Turkish troops in Baghdad in the near future has been laid with new agreements. It is reported that Ankara is also keeping the force it will send to Baghdad ready within the planned mechanisms. It is noted that the force to be sent to Baghdad will work under the coordination of Foreign Minister Fidan.

Sudani government officially included in occupation plans

The Sudani government, which previously said that it did not have relations with the Republic of Turkey through certain channels or was not included in its plans, made official its relationship with the Erdoğan government at the Ankara summit. The Sudani government, which left no room for interpretation with the “Memorandum of Understanding”, laid the foundation for Iraq to enter a critical process.

KDP: The spokesman of the occupation

Immediately after the agreement, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad from the KDP, who appeared before the cameras with Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan, acted as the spokesman for the Turkish occupation. While Fuad explained with a “dignified air” what kind of “service” they had brought to South Kurdistan and Iraqi lands, he was unaware that the people of South Kurdistan were gradually surrendering the gains of Raperin to Turkey. The KDP, which has been lobbying on behalf of the Turkish occupation in both regional and international areas since the first months of the year, has continued this work, from its leader Masoud Barzani to Foreign Minister Hussein.

The ambiguous stance of Shiite political parties

In addition, the “passive” opposition of Shiite political parties and segments against Turkish expansion is not seen as satisfactory by the Iraqi public. The ‘opposition’ of political circles in Iraq, which has been limited to statements, has begun to be questioned more. While the Iraqi capital has a politically charged atmosphere, the fact that the country's political figures have left their base without reflexes in the face of the Turkish invasion is also a matter of debate.