Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that his country "may intervene by itself in order to expel" terrorists of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) from Sinjar district in northern Iraq, according to the official Anatolia News Agency.
Erdogan's statements came when he spoke to reporters, after Friday prayers in Istanbul, commenting on the visit of Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar to Iraq.
The Turkish leader indicated that after his visit, Akar confirmed Turkey's readiness to support the Iraqi government in "expelling terrorists from Sinjar" if it requests that from Ankara.
Erdogan affirmed that his country is always ready to carry out joint operations with the Iraqi army, while he denied that what he said would mark the launch of any Turkish operations.
He explained that he has coined a phrase that he always says: We may come by surprise one night. This is the conclusion of the matter."
Turkey classifies the PKK as a "terrorist group."
The armed Kurdish formations participated in fighting ISIS in Sinjar in 2014.
Earlier Wednesday, the Turkish Defence Minister said that Turkey is closely following the removal of terrorists from the vicinity of Sinjar (west of Nineveh), pointing out to rapprochement and "understandings" with the Iraqi side "on many files, and this sends pleasure."
Last November, the Iraqi government announced the deployment of federal forces in Sinjar district, according to an agreement with the Kurdistan Regional Government in October that requires armed groups to leave the area.
In June 2020, Turkey carried out a series of airstrikes against the PKK in northern Iraq.
Iraq has previously condemned the Turkish airstrikes that are taking place across its airspace, saying that they are "unilateral acts of war ... that violate Iraqi sovereignty," and are contrary to the principle of "good neighborliness."
Iraq has previously demanded Turkey to leave the areas in which it is present.
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