‘Turkey must apologize and withdraw its forces from Iraq’: PM Kadhimi

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Turkey must officially apologize to Iraq and withdraw all of its military forces from the country, said Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi on Wednesday. 

Kadhimi’s remarks followed an urgent meeting of the Iraqi National Security Council to discuss Turkey’s artillery bombardment on Parakhe village in the Kurdistan Region’s Zakho district on Wednesday. 

“We strongly condemn the Turkish attack that targeted tourists in a resort site in Duhok province, leading to human casualties,” read a statement published by the Iraqi National Security Council. “We call on Turkey to stop the violations and, as a neighbor, respect Iraq’s territorial sovereignty and its people’s safety.” 

“Turkey must make an official apology to Iraq and withdraw all its military forces from Iraqi territory,” the statement added. 

“The Iraqi Foreign Ministry will urgently submit a lawsuit to the United Nations Security Council against the Turkish attacks on Iraq’s territorial sovereignty.”

The statement also said that the Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs will summon Turkey’s ambassador to Iraq.

The procedures taken against the Turkish attack also include having Baghdad cooperate with the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) and prepare a report about the situation on the border areas between Iraq and Turkey and advise on necessary procedures that need to be taken. 

Turkish artillery fire on Parakhe village in the Kurdistan Region’s Zakho killed nine Arab tourists and injured two dozen more, medics and local authorities told Kurdistan 24 on Wednesday. 

Read More: Turkish bombardment kills 8, injures several tourists in Zakho

The bombardment targeted a resort in the village packed with Iraqi tourists from the central and southern provinces, local officials speaking to Kurdistan 24 confirmed. 

Nine tourists were killed, including children and women, and more than 20 others were injured, according to medics who spoke to Kurdistan 24.