SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The United States said on Saturday that military operations conducted on Iraqi territory should respect Iraq’s sovereignty.
“We are aware of the press reports concerning the Turkish operations in northern Iraq,” a U.S. State Department’s spokesperson told Esta Media Network.
“We reaffirm our view that military action in Iraq should respect Iraqi sovereignty,” the spokesperson said, in response to the recent Turkish operation in the Kurdistan Region.
Turkey launched the second phase of “Operation Claw-Eagle” against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) on Gara Mountain on Wednesday.
Three Turkish soldiers were killed and three others were wounded in clashes with the PKK fighters in the area, according to Turkey’s ministry of defense.
Turkish state news agency Anadolu reported that Turkey had used more than 40 jets, drones, and tanker aircraft in the offensive against the PKK’s camps, ammunition depots and caves.
The U.S. Embassy in Ankara said on Friday that it was “saddened” by the killing of the Turkish soldiers during the operation against the PKK.
“Saddened by the killing of Turkish soldiers by PKK terrorists … We stand by our NATO ally Turkey,” the embassy said in a tweet.
Turkish Consul-General in Erbil Hakan Karacay said Baghdad and Erbil had been informed of the operation ahead of time.
The Kurdistan Communities Union (KCK), a PKK affiliated group, said in a statement on Thursday, “Turkey cannot attack Gara Mountain without the support of the Kurdistan Democratic Party.”
The KDP denied PKK’s claims of cooperating with Turkey against the group.
The party “has nothing to do with this war and has not taken any action against the PKK to fight it or not,” KDP spokesman Mahmoud Mohammed said.
The operation came after Turkish defense minister Hulusi Akar paid a visit to Baghdad and Erbil in January.
“Cooperation and coordination against the PKK terrorist group play a very important role. We are ready for every possible coordination with Iraq,” Akar said.
Turkey has conducted numerous ground and aerial cross-border offensives into neighboring northern Iraq to attack PKK fighters, who maintains bases in the region.
