For Turkey, the position of the Iraqi Kurdish leadership on political issues of shared concern has always been essential for the bilateral relationship. In this vein, ties between Turkey and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) are at their peak. The two sides appear to agree on the threats posed by tensions in Iraq’s northern Sinjar district, where the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)—designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, Britain and the US—and Iraqi Shiite militias coexist.

While the strengthening of relations with Erbil has security and economic benefits for Ankara, Turkey stands with Baghdad...