In its quest to become part of the Mosul operation, the Turkish government has been warning that the predominantly Shiite volunteer Popular Mobilization Units will ethnically cleanse Sunnis from Mosul and its environs. But since that argument has not yielded the desired results of being able to intervene in Iraq, Ankara is now using the argument that the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has turned Sinjar into a base. By declaring that “Sinjar is on the way to becoming a new Qandil, we cannot allow that,” Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has made Turkey’s position clear.
Turkey’s Chief of General Staff Hulusi Akar warned US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joseph Dunford of Turkey’s potential intervention during their Nov. 6 meeting in Ankara. According to a senior official who spoke to daily Hurriyet, Dunford said Turkey is justified to intervene in such a situation that concerns its national security.
