Iraq has demanded Turkey to immediately halt its assault in the northern region of the country, where Turkish helicopters and special forces have been targeting Kurdish fighters. On Wednesday, Turkey launched an offensive in the mountainous area in northern Iraq, which is also considered the stronghold of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).
The group is designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara. On Thursday, Iraq’s foreign ministry summoned the Turkish ambassador and handed him a strongly worded memorandum demanding Ankara to halt its assault.
The ministry said in a statement that Turkey must immediately stop bombardment in the region and withdraw its troops from Iraqi territory. On Thursday, the ministry also summoned the Iranian envoy to protest over its shelling in Kurdish areas.
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In a statement, the foreign ministry urged Tehran to respect Iraq’s sovereignty and stop such provocative actions. Over the decades, Tehran has cultivated strong economic, military, and political ties with Iraqi leaders, including some top Kurdish officials.
Last month, Tehran’s revolutionary guards mounted an operation against rebels in its western province of Kurdistan. Thursday marked the second time in a week the ministry summoned the Turkish ambassador. Following the Turkish bombardment in northern Iraq against PKK hideouts, the foreign ministry called him on Tuesday.
Since 1984, Kurds have been fighting an armed struggle against Ankara and using the rugged mountains of neighboring northern Iraq as their base. The group has tense relationships with the semi-autonomous Kurdish government in Iraq’s north, which sees the party as a rival in the region.
Political analysts have maintained that the Turkish operation, dubbed “Claw-Tiger,” could not have taken place without prior approval of KRG, the semi-autonomous government in the north of Iraq. However, there has been no immediate comment from Fuad Hussein, Iraq’s new foreign minister, and a Kurd himself with close ties with KRG.
