Iraq Outraged by Turkish, PKK Attacks

Arab World

June 7th, 7:45am

Baghdad, Ankara - Fadhel al-Nashmi and Saeed Abdul Razzak

A demonstration in Iraq’s Sulaymaniyah against the Turkish bombing of the Makhmour refugee camp in northern Iraq. (AFP)

Political and popular circles in Baghdad were outraged after Turkish bombardment hit a refugee camp in northern Iraq and a Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) ambush killed several Peshmerga fighters. Several calls and demands were made to end Turkish violations against Iraqi sovereignty and confronting PKK activity in norther regions of the country. Iraqi officials said on Saturday that Turkey carried out an air strike against the Makhmour refugee camp, killing three people. “The attack by non-Iraqi armed groups on an adjunct Iraqi military unit operating within Peshmerga forces on its way to Mount Matin in Dohuk Governorate is cowardly,” said Prime Minister spokesperson Yehia Rasool in condemnation of the assault. According to an Iraqi presidency statement, Baghdad is closely “following disturbing developments in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region.” It added that it openly “condemns the attack on Peshmerga forces in Dohuk and insists on ending such regrettable activities.” “PKK military presence inside Iraqi territory, including the Kurdistan Region, is illegal,” the statement noted, reiterating the need for halting abuses threatening Iraqi citizens’ stability and security. Iraq’s constitution prohibits using national territory as a base to threaten the security of neighboring countries. The separatist PKK, headquartered in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region’s Qandil Mountains, has been fighting a decades-long conflict against Ankara over Kurdish rights in Turkey, leading to tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. “Preventing the violation of Iraqi sovereignty and the withdrawal of Turkish forces is vital,” the presidency continued, noting that Ankara’s intervention on Iraqi lands is a violation of the principle of good neighborliness and international norms and covenants. “The recent attack is a dangerous escalation that endangers the lives of citizens, including refugees, and is inconsistent with international and humanitarian law,” it re-emphasized. For years, Ankara has carried out land and air raids inside Iraqi territory under the pretext of fighting the PKK.

from Asharq AL-awsat https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3013581/iraq-outraged-turkish-pkk-attacks