Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused a top Iraqi Kurd leader of “harbouring” terrorists and said his cabinet would on Wednesday discuss economic sanctions against Iraqi Kurdistan.Turkey has massed troops along its border with Iraq to back its threats to carry out military strikes on Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) separatist rebel bases in northern Iraq. In an accompanying war of words, Erdogan and other Turkish leaders have been particularly outspoken in their criticism of Massud Barzani, head of the Kurdish regional government in northern Iraq. “What they Barzani’s followers are doing there is quite simply harbouring a terrorist organisation,” Erdogan said late Tuesday during a reception for Turkey’s national day.
Erdogan said his cabinet would discuss possible economic sanctions against Iraqi Kurdistan at a meeting on Wednesday. TurkeyÂ’s National Security Council, made up of military and political leaders, has recommended sanctions. The prime minister made it clear that Ankara would only negotiate through Baghdad, rather than talk directly with the Iraqi Kurd administration.