Officials and observers in Iraq have raised the alarm over Turkey’s plans to launch new military operations in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, calling on the Iraqi government to take decisive action to protect national sovereignty. Hüseyin Amiri, a member of the Iraqi Parliament’s Security and Defence Committee, and Kazım Hac, a political observer, outlined the security threats in an interview with Rojnews on Wednesday.
“The Turkish state’s suspicious movements at the border must be monitored, and stringent measures should be taken at the border to prevent any foreign force’s entry into Iraqi territory,” Hüseyin Amiri said, emphasising an urgent need for the Iraqi government to counter attacks. Amiri further called for the expulsion of Turkish forces from the Kurdistan Region to prevent the expansion of what he termed an occupation.
Echoing Amiri’s sentiments, Kazım Hac said the Iraqi government must take a strong stance to halt Turkey’s assaults and protect Iraq’s sovereignty. “Iraq must take steps to prevent the Turkish state’s occupation, as it threatens national security and silence could lead to its expansion.”
Additionally, Davud Cindî, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) official for Sinjar (Şengal), criticised the Iraqi government’s silence on Turkish airstrikes against the Yazidis and questioned Iraq’s sovereignty in light of these attacks.
“The attacks concern Iraq as well. Iraq’s sovereignty is being violated by another country [Turkey], and yet Iraq remains silent! This shows either Iraq is complicit in these attacks or incapable of protecting its land, water and sovereignty,” Cindî said.
On 4 March, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced plans for a new military offensive in Iraq with the aim of eliminating the presence of Kurdish fighters “by summer”, signalling intentions for a longer-term military engagement in the region. Analysts suggested this campaign could mark the beginning of an extended Turkish occupation in Kurdish areas of Iraq.