Ibrahim al-Sumayda'i: Iraq’s Shiite Arabs Spent Billions Supporting PKK to Confront the Peshmerga

ARK News.. An Iraqi political figure has alleged that Shiite Arab factions in Iraq’s ruling establishment spent vast sums supporting the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Qandil and Sinjar, with the aim of provoking clashes with the Kurdish Peshmerga forces—plans he said ultimately failed.

Ibrahim al-Sumayda’i, an advisor to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani, told al-Ahad TV in an interview:

“The Shiites spent billions to support the PKK in Qandil and Sinjar to create a confrontation with the Peshmerga, but their project failed. Today they’re pleading with the PKK to retreat from its positions after these policies opened the door to Turkish military incursions into Iraqi territory and burned all of their political cards.”

Al-Sumayda'i also claimed there is an office under the name of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) that handles the distribution of funds to these groups, leaving Iraq with “no card left to play” against Turkey.

He further noted that a recent phone call between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister al-Sudani addressed these sensitive disputes, while some factions in Baghdad continue funding the PKK.

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