Iraqi Shia leader Hadi al Amiri told Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan that Turkey must leave Iraqi soil, Sulaimaniyah based Roj News reported citing a statement by Amiri’s Badr Movement.
Amiri and Fidan met during the former chief of Turkish intelligence’s visit to Iraq that started on Tuesday.
According to the Badr secretariat’s statement, the main focus of the meeting was Turkey’s restriction of the water flow into Iraq from the twin rivers of Tigris and Euphrates, which has exacerbated the drought brought on by the dry summer in Iraq.
“Hadi Amiri told Hakan Fidan that the Turkish state must leave Iraq,” Roj News cited the Badr movement as saying.
Turkey conducts frequent military incursions into Iraqi territory, reportedly to target bases and encampments of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the northern autonomous Kurdistan region. However, the current operation that began in 2019 has led to numerous civilian casualties and continues more than 30 km from the border between the two countries, as Turkey continues to establish more outposts and military installations on Iraqi territory.
Iraqi officials, including former prime minister Mustafa al Kadhimi, have often voiced discontent with Turkey’s military presence in the country and demanded it withdraw all troops.
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid’s office also released a statement, condemning Turkey’s military operations and withholding of water, Mezopotamya Agency reported.
Ankara must respect Baghdad’s sovereignty, Rashid said.
Fidan is scheduled to arrive in the Kurdistan region’s capital Erbil (Hewler) on Wednesday night, and expected to meet with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) officials on Thursday, the last day of his visit to Iraq.