Iraq had previously reached out to the Turkish authorities and expressed its willingness to engage in dialogue to address any security concerns Turkey may have, but had received “no meaningful response”, Iraqi President Latif Rashid said in a statement on Tuesday, condemning Turkey’s escalating military attacks on Iraqi territory, particularly the Kurdistan region.
The Iraqi president’s statement came in response to Monday’s attack on an agricultural airport in Sulaymaniyah (Silêmanî), Kurdistan’s second largest city. A spokesman for the Iraqi General Staff said the drone responsible for the attack had taken off from Turkey. The attack came shortly after an armed assault on the office of the Kurdistan National Congress (KNK), a Brussels-based Kurdish umbrella group, in Erbil (Hewlêr).
Rashid condemned these attacks as lacking any military or security justification. “While there may be occasional security breaches and military operations between neighbouring countries, the sustained and targeted military attacks on cities, civilians and military personnel are unacceptable under international law,” he stated.
He stressed that these attacks violate the principles of good neighbourliness, especially when they are carried out with weapons typically reserved for open warfare, such as drones.
These drone attacks, according to Iraqi President Rashid, have become an alarming feature of Turkey’s aggression against Iraqi soil, threatening the stability and security that Iraq has worked diligently to achieve since 2003.
Rashid also underlined Iraq’s commitment to dialogue as the primary means of resolving disputes. He spoke of Iraq’s efforts to build bridges of communication and restore relations with neighbouring countries, including Turkey. However, he expressed disappointment at the response characterised by continued drone attacks on Iraqi soil.
In response to these developments, Rashid announced that Iraq would initiate a detailed review of the situation with the relevant Iraqi security ministries and would engage fully with the international community. In addition, the Iraqi government will summon the Turkish ambassador in Baghdad to deliver a formal letter of protest to the Turkish presidency.
