Turkey’s alleged use of chemical weapons in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) will be investigated by a special Iraqi parliamentary committee, Roj News reported.
Iraqi Fath Coalition MP Rafiq Salehi said that the alleged use of chemical weapons on Iraqi Kurdistan soil by Turkey was discussed in parliament, and a special committee has been formed to investigate the claims.
The committee consists of a specialist from the Ministry of Defence, the Iraqi parliament’s committee of Security, and a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and when the investigation is complete, the committee will submit a report to the Security Council, Salehi said.
Salehi also said that in order to collect evidence, the committee will visit areas where the chemical attacks allegedly took place.
In October, the People’s Defence Forces (HPG) released a video showing Kurdish guerrillas in the KRI allegedly suffering symptoms after a Turkish chemical weapons attack.
In response to mounting reports of chemical weapons attacks in the region, inspectors from the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) visited Iraqi Kurdistan to investigate but the Kurdistan Regional Government prevented entry to affected areas.
However IPPNW delegate former biological weapons inspector Jan van Aken did note the existence of indirect evidence of chemical weapons usage.
IPPNW called for an urgent investigation by an independent organisation.