Iraq’s Presidency released a statement on Tuesday, denouncing Turkey’s military operation into northern Iraq.
The statement said:
“The presidential office is following with concern the ongoing Turkish operations on Iraqi territory in the Kurdistan region and regards them as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty and a threat to Iraq’s national security.”
The Iraqi foreign affairs ministry also reacted, saying:
“The Iraqi Government rejects, and strongly condemns, the military operations carried out by the Turkish forces by bombing Iraqi lands in the Matina, Zab, Afshin, and Basyan areas in northern Iraq (…) Iraq considers this act a violation of its sovereignty and international laws; It also violates the principle of neighborliness.”
The ministry spokesperson added:
“Iraq shall not be headquarters or corridor to attack any of the neighboring countries, and it also refuses to be an arena for conflicts for external parties.”
Sadr: ‘We will not remain silent’
Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the Sadr Movement, also posted a statement on Twitter, saying that the Turkey’s recent attack was a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.
He stated that if the attacks continue, they will not remain silent, and called upon the Turkish administration to solve problems through dialogue.
Reaction from PUK
An MP for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in the Iraqi parliament also voiced protest against the Turkish incursion, criticising both the silence and collaboration of the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
Briar Rashid told PUK media:
“Silence over the continuous Turkish bombing, which affects various parts within the Kurdistan Region every now and then is another shame for the central and the regional governments.”
He continued:
“We all heard what the Turkish defence minister said about ‘an effective contribution by Turkey’s partners in the Kurdistan Region’, and his appreciation for ‘efforts taken for the success of the military operations.’ Everyone knows that the ‘partners’ mentioned by the Turkish minister are the same partners who fight for positions in Baghdad under a popular slogan such as ‘Save the Homeland.’ It is they who facilitate the violation of national sovereignty for the aggressing countries, and work day and night to achieve those countries’ agendas which aim to destroy the homeland and its dignity and the dignity of its citizens.”
