Iraq calls on Turkey to withdraw its troops

The Iraqi Presidency yesterday called on Turkey to withdraw its troops from Iraq and condemned Ankara’s bombing of Makhmour refugee camp in the north of the country which led to killing three people on Saturday.

“We stress on the need to prevent the violation of Iraqi sovereignty, and the withdrawal of Turkish forces present in the regions of [Kurdistan] and Mosul, which is a violation of the principle of good neighbourliness, and a violation of international norms and covenants,” the Iraqi presidency said in a statement, adding that “the recent attack on Makhmour camp is a dangerous escalation that endangers the lives of citizens, including refugees, and is inconsistent with international and humanitarian law.”

The Iraqi presidency stressed the importance of strengthening relations with Turkey on the basis of common interests, solving border problems and security files through cooperation and coordination, rejecting unilateral practices in addressing outstanding issues.

“Iraq refuses to be a battleground for others and also refuses to be a springboard for aggression against anyone,” the statement said.

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Earlier on Saturday, Turkish warplanes bombed the Makhmour refugee camp which hosts more than 12,000 Kurdish refugees who fled persecution in Turkey in the 1990s. The refugee camp is located in areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad.

Iraqi also rejected an attack carried out by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militias on the Peshmerga forces on Saturday.

“The PKK military presence inside Iraqi territory, including the Kurdistan region, is illegal, and work must be done to put an end to these abuses that undermine the stability of Iraq and the security of Iraqi citizens,” it said, adding that Iraq must not be used as a “platform to threaten the security of neighbours”.