SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iraqi foreign ministry said on Tuesday it had summoned Turkey’s ambassador to Baghdad in protest at a new Turkish cross-border operation in the Kurdistan Region.
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, the Iraqi foreign ministry said it handed Turkish ambassador Ali Riza Guney a “firmly-worded note of protest” urging Ankara to “put an end to acts of provocation and unacceptable violations”.
“The Iraqi government renews its call for the withdrawal of all Turkish forces from Iraqi territories in a manner that reflects binding respect for national sovereignty,” it added.
Earlier, the foreign ministry condemned the operation on the country’s territories, saying Turkey’s actions violate the principle of good neighborliness.
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.
Turkey’s offensive came a few days after Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul.
In a separate statement, Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr warned Ankara and said 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.
