Repeated Turkish and Iranian violations in Iraq were discussed in a meeting in the Iraqi parliament on Sunday. The meeting was attended by Iraqi foreign minister Fuad Hussein after he was officially summoned by MPs.
Hakim al-Zamili, the first deputy speaker of the Iraqi parliament, stated his rejection of the presence of foreign forces in Iraq, while the head of the Sadrist bloc, Hassan Al-Adhari, called on the government to take security measures and diplomatic action in response to the repeated attacks.
Al-Zamili said:
“There are no legal justifications for the repeated attacks on our country by Turkey or Iran (…) The House of Representatives rejects the presence of any armed organisation or military force that uses our land as a launching pad for attacking neighboring countries.”
Shakhawan Abdullah, the second deputy parliamentary speaker, condemned Turkey’s continued violation of Iraqi sovereignty later on Sunday, announcing their ‘official rejection of Turkey’s violation of sovereignty and use of Iraqi soil to conduct military operations.’
The meeting was held a week after Turkey launched its latest incursion into Iraqi Kurdistan, an operation dubbed ‘Claw-Lock’, which is only the most recent in a series of military operations that have been ongoing for the past 15 years and have resulted in the occupation of certain areas, and the establishment of several Turkish bases. Neither the operations nor the bases of Turkey are limited to areas near the Turkish-Iraqi border. The Turkish base in Bashiqa near Mosul is some 700km from the Turkish border.
The Turkish bases in Bamarni, Amedi and Shiladze are located over 20km from the Turkish border.
Turkish president Erdogan claimed on Wednesday that the operation is being carried out in coordination with the Iraqi government, thanking Baghdad and Erbil for their ‘support.’ The claim was rejected only hours later by the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Region’s Peshmerga ministry.
However, there have been cracks in the Iraqi political establishment concerning Turkey’s military operations in the country, that amount to the occupation of certain areas.
The former Iraqi defence minister stated last September that Turkish airstrikes on Iraqi soil ‘are not a violation of sovereignty.’
