Al-Arab: Ankara and Erbil cooperated to attack Sulaymaniyah Airport

Reports 03:28 PM - 2023-04-09

Al-Arab newspaper.

"Turkey's bombing of Sulaymaniyah is proof of extensive coordination between Ankara and Erbil," said the headline of  Al-Arab newspaper. 

According to the report, the bombing targeted a convoy carrying the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and several US military commanders.

Erbil and Ankara have common interests

"After the bombing of Sulaymaniyah International Airport, the spokesman of the Erbil government issued a statement causing media tensions; the bombing targeted a convoy carrying SDF commander Mazloum Abdi and several US commanders," Al-Arab wrote. 

"The Kurdistan Region President called for restraint to prevent the problems from escalating, but this did not allay suspicions about Erbil's participation in assisting Ankara to carry out the bombing" "since it has common interests with Ankara," the report added.

The government in Erbil was already aware of the attack

According to Colonel Joe Buccino, spokesman for US Central Command, the bombing in Sulaymaniyah targeted a convoy carrying many US commanders who were accompanying Mazloum Abdi and did not cause any casualties. 

Al-Arabi's cited observers who asserted that "Mazloum Abdi has turned into a shared enemy of Ankara and Erbil, so the rapid media attack" launched by the Erbil government against Sulaymaniyah suggests that they were aware of the attack and helped facilitate it through intelligence assistance." 

Al-Arab indicated that "Ankara views Abdi as a member of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which it classifies as a terrorist organization; additionally, because he is allied with Bafel Talabani, they fear that that alliance will become a threat to the ruling Barzani family in Erbil."

SDF is a strategic ally of Washington

"Mazloum Abdi has a strong relationship with the US, and the Syrian Democratic Forces receive military and arms assistance from the US on a regular basis," Al-Arab wrote. "Washington regards the SDF as a strategic ally in the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS), a position that Masoud Barzani was unable to achieve following ISIS' defeat."

"Abdi has turned into a threat to Erbil officials after establishing a close relationship between Bafel Talabani and American forces in Syria when Talabani visited U.S. forces in Syria on December 22 while wearing a military uniform," the report added.

According to the newspaper, security coordination is the foundation of bilateral relations between Erbil and Ankara, and several PKK leaders have been targeted during previous visits to the Kurdistan Region.

On April 9, 2023, this report appeared on the front page of Al-Arab newspaper issue 12739. This newspaper has been published for 45 years, since 1977, and is the first Arab daily newspaper.



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