'PKK must be cleared from trade route for Ovaköy border gate to operate'

Turkey’s Customs and Trade Minister Bülent Tüfenkci informed Yeni Şafak about developments regarding the Ovaköy border gate project and the control of the existing Habur border gate, also known as the Ibrahim Khalil border crossing.

“Preparations for Ovaköy are still underway, it is currently in the technical phase. It’s critical that the Iraqi central government provides road safety. The Syrian border must be secured. The route passes through an area dominated by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)/Democratic Union Party (PYD). We are waiting for the Iraqi government. The security of the area must be ensured, and this will be established either by Iraq or Turkey,” said Minister Tüfenkci.

The Ovaköy border gate, an alternative to the Ibrahim Khalil border crossing located between Turkey and the Kurdish region in northern Iraq, will bypass the Barzani administration.

Minister Tüfenkci stated that Turkey was going to complete the construction of the Ovaköy trade route, saying, “We did this for Habur, and we will do it for Ovaköy too.”

Tüfenkci emphasized that the route crossed the Dicle River and that a bridge had to be built there, adding that this bridge would be built in approximately six months. “The new route will pass through Tal Afar. It will span Tal Afar, Mosul and Baghdad,” said Tüfenkci.

Tüfenkci said that the Habur border gate was operated jointly by Baghdad and the Peshmerga:

“We are watching the developments there. The Iraqi central government and the Peshmerga are working there. It appears to be a joint model. This is the right thing to do, because the Peshmerga are also officers of the central government. Baghdad pays their fees. The flag raised in Habur is currently that of the Iraqi central government,” he added.

The work for the Ovaköy border gate, which will be an alternative to the existing Habur border gate, is continuing at a technical level. The bridge that the trade route passes will be constructed by the General Directorate of Highways. It is planned that the route passing through the north of Tal Afar will be extended to reach Tal Afar city and from there it will reach Baghdad via Mosul.

However, due to the PKK/PYD threat on this route, priority is given to clear the road from the terrorists and to ensure security. Turkey is waiting for the Iraqi central government to take a step to ensure the safety of the road. In addition to the presence of the PYD on the border with Syria, the PKK presence in Sinjar has also been discussed between Turkish and Iraqi officials. Ankara told Baghdad that Turkish troops were ready to provide safety against the PKK presence in Sinjar.

The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States. The Democratic Union Party (PYD) is its Syrian branch.

The PKK has been conducting armed violence in the southeastern part of Turkey since 1984. More than 40,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the three-decade long conflict.