Barzani turn Iraqi Kurdistan to Turkish province, and diverted all oil pipeline through Turkey now Kurdistan become hostage to turkey.
Ankara is concerned about preserving the current state of Turkish-Iraqi Kurdistan ties, as political uncertainty hangs over Iraq’s Kurdistan region after President Massoud Barzani’s mandate expired without rival factions reaching an agreement to extend his term.
Weeks of rounds of debates between the rival parties failed to produce a consensus before Barzani’s term officially ended at midnight on Wednesday, despite a last-ditch intervention by the US and British diplomats, and Ankara is watching the ongoing stalemate over the presidency warily.
The replacement for Barzani, who has held the post for more than a decade, could have implications on ties with Ankara, which has invested heavily in Iraqi Kurdistan, both in diplomatic and economic terms.
Only a decade ago, relations wavered on the edge of mutual hostility, if not an outright showdown, but they improved rapidly since 2007, due to cordial relations between the Turkish government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) led by Barzani.
While Ankara has been cautious and has refrained from any public statement regarding the presidential debates among Kurdish parties in northern Iraq, diplomatic sources say the Turkish government may want to see the extension of Barzani’s mandate.