While the State Minister Hayati Yazýcý said a couple of weeks ago that debates on changing the Iraqi-Turkish border can be opened to discussion, like it has done with Iran in 1934, member of the Executive Committee of Kurdistan Democratic Confederation (KCK) Duran Kalkan has said Turkey is extending its borders into Iraqi territory.

Speaking to ANF Duran Kalkan said Turkey has been discussing about extending the Turkish border for the last 30 years and the debates are not new going back to the presidents Turgut Özal and Süleyman Demirel times. “Turkey has already attempted to realise border extension. Currently it is not possible to talk about an existing border. The border is where the Turkish soldiers are deployed. There are so called border-stones but they are never considered as border” added Duran Kalkan.

Reminding the fact that current Iraqi border was determined on 5 June 1926 by the treaties between Turks and British Kalkan said as a requirement of the war the border region has already be evacuated and depopulated by the Turkish army. He also stated that so far all the Turkish incursions and cross-border operations have failed.

Kalkan further said that extending borders or conducting more military operations will not serve solution and will not reach any conclusions. “It is the militaristic understanding of Genghis Khan of Mongols and it cannot be continued today. Our era will not let Genghis Khans.” added Kalkan.