According to the expert, if the US decides to arm Iranian Kurds to break the Iranian regime, “it will be a serious escalation that will draw Turkey into the war.” As she noted, the strongest group in the Kurdish region of Iran is the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK), which is linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), an organization considered terrorist, among others. by Turkey, EU and USA. The PKK has been fighting a guerrilla war with the Turkish authorities for 40 years.
If Israel or the US rearm PJAK, Türkiye will almost certainly intervene to prevent the emergence of an independent quasi-state in Iran
– continued the think tank expert.
This, in turn, would result in a crack in NATO. Imagine two NATO countries, the USA and Turkey, standing on opposite sides of a conflict
– she added.
What are the effects of the US arming the Kurds?
Why might Türkiye join the conflict?
Which Kurdish group is the strongest in Iran?
What was Turkey's relationship with the Trump administration before the war broke out?
The expert warns against including the Kurds in attacks in Iran. “US should think twice”
The expert emphasized that the Turkish authorities highly value their relations with the US administration and President Donald Trump himself. However, this issue would become a dominant one when it comes to national security and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan “would be under pressure to do something about it,” the analyst explained.
The US should think twice before taking such action
said Asli Aydintasbas.
The analyst noted that Türkiye was trying hard to build an international coalition that would lobby the Trump administration to resolve the Iran issue diplomatically. Ankara also tried to mediate between Tehran and Washington.
Until the war broke out, relations between the Trump administration and Ankara were quite good. But Türkiye is afraid of the current instability and the US president's “open check” to Israel
– she emphasized.
She added that Turkey's current goal is to remain outside this conflict.
However, if the war spreads, if the Kurds join it, Türkiye will be drawn into it
– says an expert from the Brookings Institution.
A senior Kurdish representative in Iran told CNN that Kurdish opposition forces in Iran will take part in a ground operation in western Iran in the coming days. Another interlocutor said the plan may be for Kurdish groups to clash with Iranian security forces and defeat them. This would allow unarmed Iranians from large cities to take to the streets without risking another massacre, as happened during the protests in January.
