Turkey said on Thursday that it is closely monitoring the activities of the Iranian Kurdish PJAK, warning that the group threatens Iran’s security and regional stability amid reports of consultations with Washington over the ongoing US-Israel military campaign against Iran.
Sources told Reuters on Tuesday that Iranian Kurdish militias had discussed potential operations against Iran’s security forces in the country’s west with US officials.
Turkey, a NATO member and Iran’s neighbour, is currently focused on securing peace with the outlawed Iraq-based PKK and supports integrating Syrian Kurdish militants into Syria’s state structures. Ankara is unlikely to endorse collaboration between Iranian Kurdish militias and Washington.
“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 Defence Ministry said in a press briefing.
The ministry added that all Turkish state institutions are monitoring the PJAK, which maintains links to the PKK, designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US, and the European Union.