In a bid to ward off a planned Turkish military campaign against bases of separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in north Iraq, Chief of Kurdistan region Masaud Al-Barazani intends to extradite leaders of the banned organization to Turkey. The move is expected to push high the shares of Turkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) in presidential elections slated for July 22, local daily "Vatan" quoted a senior military official as saying in an interview to be published Friday.
Barazani will hand over leader of PKK military wing Murat Karailan and member of PKK command Jamil Beyk who lost their powers in the banned organization, the official who led several military operations against the PKK said on the condition of anonymity. The two elements, no longer accepted by the PKK, will be scapegoats to Turkish Prime Minister and AKP chairman Recep Tayyep Erdogan. Erdogan will use the gift to lobby for his party in the coming elections. He will say to the Turkish people "look and see how such problems can be solved through dialogue," said the military official whose secular establishment is staunch opponent of the former Islamist prime minister.
The move is likely to prevent a possible military intervention in northern Iraq to chase PKK militants, thus promoting Barazani's popularity, he added.