Meeting in Turkish resort city to be co-chaired by Turkish and Iraqi foreign ministers, according to diplomatic sources
The 5th meeting of the Türkiye-Iraq High-Level Security Mechanism is set to be held Sunday in Türkiye's southern Antalya province as part of the 4th Antalya Diplomacy Forum.
The meeting will be co-chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein, with participation from representatives of both countries' foreign ministries, defense departments, and intelligence agencies, according to diplomatic sources.
The meeting is expected to focus on reinforcing the existing mutual understanding between Türkiye and Iraq in the field of security -- particularly in fighting the PKK terrorist organization -- through additional concrete steps.
Discussions will likely include a review of Iraq's practical implementation of its decision to designate the PKK as a "banned organization" and reiterate Türkiye's ultimate expectation that Iraq formally declares it a "terrorist organization."
The implications of the terrorist PKK's jailed ringleader Abdullah Öcalan's call for the terror group's dissolution in Iraq and the broader region are also expected to be addressed at the meeting.
Öcalan on Feb. 27 called for the dissolution of the PKK and all groups under it, urging an end to its terror campaign.
The PKK, a terrorist group that has taken some 40,000 lives in its four-decade terror campaign against Türkiye, often hides out in Iraq to plot terrorist attacks on Türkiye.
Turkey is also expected to reiterate its demand for concrete steps against the terror group behind the 2016 defeated coup attempt -- the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETÖ) -- and its presence in Iraq, especially its so-called schools.
The meeting is also anticipated to reaffirm Türkiye's determination to jointly combat the Daesh (ISIS) terror group and highlight the importance of regional cooperation under the principle of "regional solutions to regional problems."
Finally, the meeting will evaluate opportunities to enhance coordination and cooperation between the two neighboring countries, especially in light of current developments in Syria and Israel's ongoing aggression in the region.
