KRG PM, Turkish defense minister reiterate importance of 'implementing Sinjar Agreement'

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar reiterated the importance of “ousting militias and outlawed armed forces” in the Yezidi-majority town of Sinjar and called for implementing the Sinjar Agreement.

Turkey’s defense minister and an accompanying delegation landed in the Kurdistan Region’s capital Erbil on Monday night to hold talks with Kurdish officials following a visit to Baghdad.

Read More: Turkish defense minister visits Kurdistan Region to meet officials

In a meeting in Erbil on Tuesday, Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar “reiterated the importance of implementing the Sinjar Agreement and ousting militias and the outlawed armed forces in the area [Sinjar] in order to normalize the situation and return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their areas of origin,” a statement from the Kurdish PM’s office read.

In early October 2020, the Federal Government of Iraq and the KRG announced they had reached an agreement to restore and normalize the situation in the Sinjar (Shingal) area, where competing armed groups are active, namely the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) and Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF).

The agreement involves understandings on security, civil administration, reconstruction and service rehabilitation, and the return of IDPs.

Read More: KRG and Baghdad reach administrative, security agreement on Sinjar

Another aspect of the meeting between the Kurdish leader and the top Turkish defense official was the bilateral relations between the Kurdistan Region and Turkey, mainly economic cooperation such as trade and investment.

“We had a productive exchange of views on bilateral and regional security and discussed practical measures to increase economic cooperation, trade, and investment,” Prime Minister Barzani tweeted following his meeting with the Turkish minister.

The Sinjar Agreement, upon its signing ceremony, was widely welcomed by domestic and international actors, mainly the United Nations, that previously urged the Kurdish and Iraqi sides to implement the agreement “to create stability and security in the area and allow for its reconstruction as well as the return of IDPs.”

Read More: UN envoy to Iraq calls for Sinjar agreement to be implemented

In his official visit to Turkey in December 2020, Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi described the Sinjar Agreement as an “important step” in efforts to prevent terrorist organizations from entering Iraqi borders.

Editing by Karzan Sulaivany