Baghdad slams Turkish offensive in northern Iraq, says it harms neighborly relations

Turkey launched a new cross-border military operation against the purported positions of Kurdish militants in northern Iraq on Monday.

The offensive, dubbed “Operation Claw Lock”, focused on the regions of Metina, Zap, and Avashin-Basyan in northern Iraq.

Ankara claimed that the offensive was aimed to “prevent terror attacks” and ensure border security following an assessment that the PKK was planning a large-scale assault.

However, Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed al-Sahaf asserted that Baghdad rejects the Turkish military operations as illegal.

“Iraq considers this action a violation of its sovereignty and sanctity, as it is an act that violates international covenants and laws that regulate relations between countries,” al-Sahaf said in a statement published by the Iraqi News Agency (INA) on Tuesday.

“Baghdad will not allow the country to turn into a hotspot for foreign conflicts and retaliatory attacks,” he added.

Iraq will not keep silent over Turkish offensives: Sadr

Iraqi Shia Muslim cleric Muqtada al-Sadr also warned Ankara about the repercussions of continued military operations in Iraq, saying Iraq will not remain silent should Turkey mount another military offensive.

In a tweet on Tuesday, Sadr slammed Turkey’s military operation as an “unjustified and inexcusable” act, saying that in order to fight any threat on Iraqi soil, Turkey should pursue joint operations with the Iraqi government.

Iraq is an independent, sovereign country, and any invasion or attempt to destabilize the country is not acceptable to Iraq, Sadr said, adding that invading neighboring countries that hold friendly ties with Iraq is also intolerable.

The Iraqi government and the Arab country’s resistance groups have repeatedly warned Turkey of the consequences of its incursions into their country.