Turkey urges Iran to back Ankara's fight against PKK
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says Ankara seeks to strengthen ties with its eastern neighbor and expects Tehran to support its fight against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan says Ankara seeks to strengthen ties with its eastern neighbor and expects Tehran to support its fight against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
“There are some who think differently about PKK in Iran. But it is not a secret that we call on all the countries – the US, Russia, etc. – not only Iran, not to support PKK or at least not to remain indifferent,” Fidan said Friday during a press conference in Istanbul.
He made the remarks in response to a question about IRGC Quds Force Chief Esmail Qaani's alleged meeting with the PKK-linked YPG leaders.
Fidan also suggested that Iran might reconsider its regional policies and adopt a new strategy in the Middle East following developments in the region, including the fall of Tehran’s ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
Ankara is known as the main supporter of the Syrian rebels led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, also known by his nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Julani, who toppled Assad's government in Damascus.
Fidan said the new Syrian administration should be given a chance to address the presence of Kurdish militants in the Arab country, reiterating that the Turkish military would act if it did not.
Since the fall of Assad on December 8, 2024, Ankara has repeatedly said the Kurdish YPG militia must disband, lay down its weapons, and have its foreign fighters leave Syria.
Turkey has listed the YPG, which spearheads the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as a terrorist organization linked to militants waging a decades-old insurgency against the Turkish state.
However, Washington considers them a key ally battling Daesh (ISIS) terrorists.
Hassan Hassanzadeh, the commander of Tehran’s Mohammad Rasoulollah IRGC base, told local media that the trend of declining participation has intensified since the fall of Iran’s ally, Bashar al-Assad, in Syria. In a rare admission, he acknowledged that many IRGC and Basij members did not respond to calls to join what was intended to be a 110,000-strong drill.
However, the actual participation figure remains uncertain, as Hassanzadeh also said that “According to preliminary figures I have received, at least 27,000 Afghan brothers and sisters residing in Iran have filled out the participation form for the drills.”
Hassanzadeh, referring to what he described as a trend of non-cooperation by IRGC and Basij members with IRGC programs, stated: "Unfortunately, many of our colleagues who have had the honor of serving in the Basij and the IRGC have either declined to participate for various reasons or have not yet given a definitive response. This is a trend that we have seen increase since the events in Syria."
The event appeared more like a parade through the streets of the capital than a military drill intended to prepare for the defense of Tehran. Many Iranians on social media suggested that the exercise was aimed more at intimidating residents and deterring anti-government protests than preparing for a potential foreign attack.
The participants included anti-riot forces riding in groups of motorcyclists, a formation commonly used during protests. Typically, two men share each motorbike, with the passenger armed with clubs or chains to strike protesters.
The event also featured men carrying cardboard cutouts of “martyrs,” such as former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, killed by Israel, and Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas, assassinated in Tehran last year. Heavily armed IRGC forces were present, carrying assault rifles and riding in pick-up trucks mounted with heavy machine guns. Some participants, dressed as early Islamic warriors, brandished oversized swords—all these displays seemingly intended to intimidate the public.
An official IRGC announcement highlighted the distribution of free food to all participants, along with a few hundred “wedding gift packages” for supporters preparing to get married. In Iran, free food handed out at such events is commonly referred to as “sandis,” a term often used humorously. Those who attend government-organized gatherings solely for the freebies are mockingly called “Sandiskhor,” or freeloaders.
Iran International analyst, Morad Veisi pointed out before the event that “The timing of the drill coincides with political shifts in the US, including the return of Donald Trump to the White House, and a weakening of Tehran’s regional position, which have raised concerns within the Islamic Republic’s ruling circles.”
