It appears that certain statements made by H.E. Hakan Fidan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Türkiye, during an interview on a television channel on 9 February 2026 have been distorted by some media outlets in Iraq.

We emphasize at every opportunity that we aim to further advance the institutional, constructive, and productive cooperation we have established with Iraq in almost all fields, including security and counterterrorism, in the period ahead.

The statements made by Minister Fidan in the aforementioned interview, based on this understanding of cooperation, are intended to draw attention to the threat posed to Iraq’s territorial integrity and security by the PKK terrorist organization, which has established itself in parts of Iraqi territory, particularly in Sinjar, Makhmur, and Qandil.

In this context, Minister Fidan underscored our determination to ensure the complete eradication of the terrorist organization from Iraqi territory, as in Syria, and the necessity of sustaining and further strengthening our existing cooperation with the Iraqi administration in this field.

We therefore reject the distortion of Minister Fidan’s statements by certain circles, taken out of context and portrayed as interference in Iraq’s internal affairs.

On this occasion, we reiterate Türkiye’s support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our neighbor Iraq.