Turkey occupies 15 km of Iraqi border territory: MP

In a statement to the Iraqi News Agency, the head of the Parliamentary Security and Defense Committee, Muhammad Reza Al-Haidar said, “Iraq rejects a country violating its sovereignty or carrying out airstrikes inside its territories,” calling on the government to address this crisis.

Haider said that “Turkey depends on the security agreement concluded previously by entering about five kilometers to seven kilometers in the border strip,” noting that “Ankara exceeded the limit and occupied about 15 km of the border strip.”

He pointed out that “Iraq refuses to have an armed faction within its territories attacking a neighboring country, and it refuses to attack its sovereignty from any country.”

However, the Turkish Foreign Ministry confirmed that “Ankara is determined to take all necessary measures within the framework of the principle of self-defense emanating from international law, against the destructive activities coming from Iraqi lands, which threaten its borders, security and stability.”

On June 17, Turkey announced the launch of Operation “Tiger Claw” in northern Iraq, two days after the launch of Operation “Eagle Claw”, as Ankara says that members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) are launching attacks on the Turkish border from Iraq.