SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iraq condemned a Turkish cross-border operation in the Kurdistan Region’s province of Duhok and Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr warned Turkey of consequences if it continues to attack the Iraqi soil.
On Monday, Turkey’s defense ministry announced an air and ground operation against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in several areas in Duhok.
Turkish warplanes, helicopters, drones, commandos and special forces participated in the air and land operation, Turkey’s defense ministry said on Monday.
In a statement, Iraq’s foreign ministry condemned the operation on the country’s territories, saying Turkey’s actions violate the principle of good neighborliness.
“Iraq categorically rejects and strongly condemns the military operations carried out by the Turkish forces by bombing Iraqi lands through helicopters and drones,” foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed al-Sahaf said on Monday.
“We refuse that Iraq becomes an area for conflict and for other countries to settle scores,” he added.
Separately, Iraqi Presidency said the operation had violated Iraq’s sovereignty and was a threat to national security.
“The repetition of Turkish military operations inside the Iraqi borders and without coordination with the Iraqi federal government despite previous calls to stop them … is unacceptable,” it said in a statement.
The Turkish defense ministry said on Monday that the operation was “carried out in coordination with our friends and allies,” without giving further details.
Reuters cited Turkish officials as saying that they believe Baghdad is firmly on their side in fighting the PKK.
In a separate statement, Shia cleric Sadr warned Ankara of the operation in the country, saying Turkey had bombed the Iraqi lands “unjustly and without pretext”.
“If [Turkey] has suspected any danger from Iraqi territory then it must coordinate with the Iraqi government to end its concerns as Iraqi security forces are capable of defending it,” Sadr said.
“If it is repeated, then we will not remain silent, for Iraq is a fully sovereign country,” he added.
Meanwhile, head of National Wisdom Movement Ammar al-Hakim rejected the operation in the country.
“While we are calling on the Iraqi government to seize the borders and prevent any party from using Iraqi lands as a launching pad for attacks against neighboring countries, we demand neighboring countries to respect Iraq’s sovereignty and not to carry out military operations inside its territory,” he said in a statement.
