No Iraqi law allows Turkey incursion
ERBIL, KRG, Iraq (North Press) – Iraq’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied on Sunday that there is an agreement or even an Iraqi law that permits Turkey to intervene militarily inside Iraqi territories.
The Ministry’s declaration came during a parliamentary session called to discuss the Turkish aggressions. Iraq’s foreign minister Fuad Hussein attended the session.
Head of the Huqooq bloc in the parliament Hussein Hashim al-Ameri told North Press that he called on the MPs and ministers to hold an emergency session to discuss the Turkish aggressions, its constant incursions, and its establishment of military bases on Iraqi territory.
Dr. Ahmed al-Sahaf, official spokesperson of Iraq’s Foreign Ministry, told Iraqi news outlets that during the session, multiple questions were raised concerning the ministry’s measures in response to the continuous violations committed by neighboring countries.
Al-Sahaf said that the Foreign Minister raised the issue of the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK) and said that “the rumor about a Turkish-Iraqi agreement allowing Turkey to spread forces in Iraq is untrue.”
He continued, “There was only one meeting between Baghdad and Ankara, prior to 2003, which allowed the latter to enter 5km into Iraq’s soil and for only fixed days in coordination with the government.”
Al-Sahaf illustrated that Ankara carries out “continuous violations which have no legal basis and are not founded on any agreement between the two countries. [Turkey is] using article 51 of the UN Charter of self-defense as a pretext but this also cannot be implemented without the official approval of Iraq.”
Al-Sahaf stressed that Iraq discussed with Turkey all the breaches which have been committed.
The spokesperson recalled Iraq’s parliamentary decision which canceled all laws that enabled Turkey to enter Iraqi territory.
During the session, lawmakers also held a discussion about whether it was in Iraq’s interest to use heavy military power as a response in addition to an economic and political response, according to al-Sahaf.