DIYARBAKIR, Turkey — In the run-up to elections, Turkish government officials tend to claim that Turkey and Iran will conduct a joint operation against outlawed Kurdish militants along the border.
When Turkey was preparing for the general elections in June 24, 2018, Turkey’s Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu had announced that Turkey and Iran were planning to launch joint operations on the Qandil Mountains, where the headquarters of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) is located. But these plans have not been realized. Turkey along with most Western powers consider the PKK a terrorist organization.