3 yıl önce

Türkiye rejects Iraq's 'baseless' objections to its anti-terror operation

Turkish Foreign Ministry summons Iraqi charge d’affaires and reaffirms Ankara's right to act against the designated terror group PKK.

AA

Ankara stressed that Iraqi authorities have failed to act decisively against the terror group despite Türkiye’s repeated requests.

Türkiye has dismissed Iraq’s “baseless” objections to Operation Claw-Lock, Ankara’s latest cross-border anti-terror operation against the PKK terrorist group.

Baghdad’s charge d’affaires was summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Thursday and told in clear terms that Türkiye is well within its rights to act against a designated terrorist organisation that “has been targeting our country from its bases in northern Iraq for nearly 40 years,” ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgic said in a statement.

Türkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock this week to target PKK hideouts in the Metina, Zap and Avasin-Basyan areas.

Iraq, however, raised concerns over the anti-terror offensive and called on Ankara to withdraw its forces.

Bilgic stressed that Iraqi authorities have failed to act decisively against the terror group despite Türkiye’s repeated requests.

'Ankara ready to cooperate'

Bilgic said Ankara is determined to root out the PKK, which has been designated as a terrorist organisation by several countries and international organizations and is also “a threat to Iraq’s sovereignty and stability.”

“Türkiye is always ready to cooperate closely with Iraq in the fight against the PKK terrorist organisation on the basis of common interests,” he added.

As long as Iraqi authorities do not take “solid and effective steps” against this threat, Türkiye will continue to take all necessary measures for self-defence, a right enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter, Bilgic asserted.

In 2020, Türkiye launched operations Claw-Tiger and Claw-Eagle in the border regions of northern Iraq to ensure the safety of the Turkish people and the frontiers.

Since it came into existence in 1984, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organisation by Türkiye, the US and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people in Türkiye, including women, children and infants.

SOURCE: AA