Iraq condemns Turkish 'acts of war' that killed 5 in the Kurdistan Region

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraq on Saturday condemned Turkey’s two separate airstrikes last week in the Kurdistan Region that killed five civilians amid Ankara’s ongoing incursion into the region in its fight against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

“Iraq expresses its condemnation [of] the two Turkish air force bombings,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement, stressing that Ankara should stop should violating Iraq’s borders.

In two separate attacks on Wednesday and Thursday, Turkish jets bombarded border regions of Erbil Province, killing five civilians, injuring six others, and causing material damage. 

Before the Foreign Ministry's comments, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) released its own less strongly-worded statement in which it asked both Ankara and the PKK to put an end to their conflict in areas of the Kurdistan Region populated by civilians.  

Related Article: After civilian deaths, KRG asks Turkey, PKK to stop fighting in Kurdistan Region 

The Iraqi statement continued, “While we are keen to establish long-term strategic relations and to prevent acts emanating from Iraqi territory against the security of neighboring Turkey, we believe that unilateral acts of war violate Iraqi sovereignty and contradict the principles of good neighborliness that govern the relations between two countries and pose a serious violation of international humanitarian law.”

The PKK has been engaged in a decades-long insurgency against Turkey over Kurdish rights and self-rule. Turkey, the United States, and the European Union all designate it as a “terrorist” organization.

In the past year, Turkey has carried out military operations against PKK fighters based within the Kurdistan Region with continued regularity. Turkish forces have crossed into the region up to 20 kilometers deep in some areas to target the guerilla group.

Such attacks have led to the evacuation of many villagers from the Kurdistan Region as Ankara’s warplanes continue to damage residential and agricultural lands, and, on occasion, kill civilian bystanders about whom there are no claims of PKK affiliation. Aggrieved locals have long urged both sides to take their conflict elsewhere. 

“Whatever the circumstances and justifications,” concluded Baghdad's Foreign Ministry, “we stress on the Turkish side the importance of stopping the bombing of Iraqi areas and the need to respect sovereignty, and mutual cooperation to ensure the security of the borders of the two countries.” 

Editing by John J. Catherine