Iraq calls on Turkey to pullout all forces from north

The Iraqi foreign ministry called in the Ambassador to Baghdad, Ali Riza Guney on Tuesday to lodge a strong condemnation of the invasion of northern Iraq and the recently-laucnhed military operation in the north in the Kurdistan region.

"We conveyed strong condemnation to the Turkish ambassador to call on Turkey to stop such provocative actions. Therefore, Turkish forces must withdraw completely from Iraqi territory in a way that shows binding respect for national sovereignty," the Iraqi foreign ministry said in a statement, according to the local Iraqi media.

"Baghdad is legally entitled to take necessary and appropriate action against hostile and unilateral actions, such as the Turkish operation, in accordance with the UN Charter and the international law; The operation was carried out without coordination with the Iraqi government," the statement further reads.

The statement stressed that Article 51 of the UN Charter which Turkey invokes does not allow the sovereignty of an independent state to be violated, adding that "the presence of most elements of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq is based on an agreement between the Turkish government and the PKK."

It added that Iraq opposes the spillover of an internal Turkish problem to its territory.

Baghdad noted at the end that the violation of Iraqi sovereignty does not lay a good ground for finding a common and lasting solution to security problems, alternatively increasing security cooperation is the proper way to achieve the favorable interests and a solution to the problems.

The Turkish Defense Ministry announced on Monday morning that it had launched an operation under the pretext of fighting PKK militants in northern Iraq. This new operation is underway with the participation of the Turkish air forces and its special combat forces.

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