Türkiye signals military action if Kurdish groups join attacks on Iran

Turkish authorities in Ankara have reportedly issued a warning to the United States, the Iraqi government, and Kurdish formations, stating that Türkiye may take military action if Kurdish groups participate in operations against Iran.

The Turkish newspaper Türkiye Today, citing its own sources, reported that following the start of attacks on Iran, Israel attempted to negotiate with groups considered terrorist organizations by Ankara—the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and its Iranian branch, PJAK—regarding their potential involvement as ground proxy forces.

Contacts with commanders of these groups were reportedly conducted through Mossad intelligence. After obtaining this information, Türkiye began actively intervening in the situation.

According to the newspaper, the matter was discussed during a phone call between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and U.S. President Donald Trump in early March. Erdoğan reportedly strongly opposed the use of Kurdish forces in a war against Iran. Kurdish groups were warned that any participation would trigger Turkish strikes “regardless of circumstances, as previously done in Syria,” where a series of cross-border operations had been conducted.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization are reportedly involved in addressing the issue. Their leadership maintains intensive contacts with both the administration of Iraqi Kurdistan and Iraq’s central government. Turkish officials also visited northern Iraq to clarify Ankara’s position and signal its readiness to respond militarily if Kurdish formations engage in attacks on Iran.

Additionally, Türkiye reported that the imprisoned PKK leader, Abdullah Öcalan, has allegedly sent a message to the organisation’s leadership in northern Iraq, instructing them not to intervene in Iran and warning against “falling into Israel’s trap.”