Turkey has thwarted an alleged Israeli plan to recruit Kurdish fighters for ground operations in Iran, according to a report Monday by the pro-government Turkish newspaper Daily Sabah.
Citing Turkish sources, the report said about 500 Kurdish fighters had already set out from Iraq toward Iran to join the fighting, but were stopped following intervention by Ankara.
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Kurdish fighters
(Photo: Reuters/Umit Bektas, AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)
According to the report, Israel, in coordination with the United States, sought to activate Kurdish groups in Iraq and inside Iran as proxy ground forces as part of a broader campaign following the opening phase of the war in late February.
Israel was also said to have struck military targets near the Iran-Iraq border to facilitate the movement of Kurdish fighters.
The report said Turkey held high-level contacts with the leadership of Iraq’s Kurdistan region and warned against cooperation, specifically addressing the Barzani and Talabani families, who lead the region’s main political factions.
Ankara also reportedly sent deterrent messages to the PKK, the Kurdish militant group, warning it would take action if it joined the effort. The report added that imprisoned PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan had called on Kurdish groups not to respond to Israeli initiatives.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan raised the issue in a conversation with US President Donald Trump, expressing opposition to the use of Kurdish forces in the conflict.
Turkish officials warned that such a move could ignite a broader regional confrontation. Intelligence chief Ibrahim Kalin said at a conference in Istanbul that the war risked turning into a “ring of fire,” potentially triggering prolonged conflict between Turks, Kurds, Arabs and Persians.
Similar claims about Kurdish involvement have surfaced in recent weeks. Reuters reported earlier that Israel had struck areas in western Iran in support of Iranian Kurdish groups operating from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region in Iraq, which were said to be preparing to cross into Iran.
Those plans did not materialize.
After the war began, Iran targeted Kurdish armed groups inside Iraq as well as US bases in the region, warning it would act against any hostile deployments near its borders.
Trump also addressed the issue earlier, saying it would be “wonderful” if Kurdish fighters crossed from Iraq into Iran. However, Israel has not publicly confirmed any such involvement since the war began.
The Washington Post reported in the first week of the conflict that the United States had begun outreach to internal Iranian opposition groups, including Kurdish factions, as potential allies in efforts to destabilize the regime.
According to sources cited in that report, Trump discussed offering extensive US air cover and additional support to Iranian Kurdish groups opposed to Tehran, in an effort to help them seize territory in western Iran.
A senior official from one of Iraq’s main Kurdish parties said the US request was for Iraqi Kurdish forces to “open the way and not interfere,” while providing logistical support to Iranian Kurdish groups organizing inside Iraq.
“The Kurds must choose a side in this struggle, either with America and Israel or with Iran,” Trump was quoted as telling Kurdish leader Bafel Talabani.
Another Kurdish official confirmed the discussions but said the issue was not only about military capability but also about the level of internal support within Iran itself.
CNN also reported earlier in March that the CIA was working to arm Kurdish groups as part of efforts to fuel a renewed uprising inside Iran. Kurdish officials later denied claims that fighters had crossed into Iran to launch a ground offensive.
Despite the competing reports and claims, no official confirmation has been issued by Israel regarding any coordination with Kurdish forces in the current conflict.