Turkey: Threatened closure of Turkish-Iraqi border /update 1

Event

On Thursday, October 5, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, threatened to close the Turkish-Iraqi border, including its airspace, “soon” following the recent Kurdish independence referendum. As a reminder, security controls have already been tightened along the main border crossing between Turkey and Iraq and all international flights to and from Iraqi Kurdistan have been suspended via an air embargo issued by Baghdad.

Context

This is the latest of a series of threats issued by Erdogan in response to the Kurdish referendum held in Iraqi Kurdistan on September 25. On September 26, the Turkish president swore to impose military and economic sanctions and, on October 4, announced that the decision to cut oil exports from the region would be made jointly with neighboring Iran and Iraq.

Turkey has repeatedly denounced the referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan, which it regards as a direct threat to its national security. Ankara has been fighting a Kurdish insurgency movement for the past three decades, spearheaded by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group regarded as a terrorist organization by the EU, the US, and Turkey. Since 2015, clashes between Turkish government troops and the PKK have intensified after a ceasefire fell apart. Turkish officials fear the referendum will inflame separatist sentiments and inspire secessionist groups within its territory.

Advice

Individuals in Turkey are advised to remain vigilant, to keep abreast of the situation, and to adhere to all instructions issued by local authorities.