The rebuke comes as both Turkish warplanes and Iranian artillery pound northern Iraq’s border areas in an offensive launched Monday to target suspected positions of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the region.
While not officially labelled a joint operation, media outlets close to the Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) say Turkey and Iran agreed to jointly fight what they called Kurdistan Region-based cross-border "terrorism".
This is the second time this week Turkey’s ambassador, Fatih Yildiz, has been tasked over the continuous shelling by the Turkish warplanes of the northern areas of Iraq in the Kurdistan region.
Iraq’s foreign ministry called on Turkey to “halt all bombardments” and informed the Turkish ambassador that Baghdad demands the full withdrawal of Turkish troops from Iraq.
A statement from the ministry “condemned” the Iranian bombardment that shelled the areas of northeastern Iraq on the Iraqi-Iran border while summoning the Iranian ambassador to Baghdad, Iraj Masjedi, and called on Tehran to “halt” such attacks and respect Iraq’s sovereignty.
Turkey announced the launch of Operation Claw-Eagle, targeting suspected Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) bases in Shingal in Nineveh province, and Makhmour, Qarachogh, Mount Qandil, Khuakurk, and Zap across the Kurdistan Region.
Turkey regularly carries out airstrikes and ground operations against suspected PKK positions inside the Kurdistan Region.
Currently based in the Qandil Mountains along the Turkey-Kurdistan Region-Iran border, the PKK is an armed group that fights for greater political rights for Kurds in Turkey. Decades of fighting with Turkey has led to the death of thousands, including civilians.
Civilians are routinely caught in the crossfire of the continuous conflict in the Kurdistan Region border areas. A Kurdish shepherd from the town of Harir is the first reported civilian casualty in the recent Turkish offensive into northern Iraq.
