Iraq summons Turkish ambassador over airstrikes against PKK

Iraq summons Turkish ambassador over airstrikes against PKK
Iraq's foreign ministry has said it has summoned Turkey's ambassador to protest Turkish airstrikes on Kurdish militia positions in northern Iraq.

1 min read
14 December, 2018
Turkey has outlawed the PKK in its own territories [Getty]

Iraq's foreign ministry has said it has summoned Turkey's ambassador to protest Turkish airstrikes on Kurdish militia positions in northern Iraq.

The ministry said in a statement on Friday that it had rebuked Turkey over two air raids on Iraq's Sinjar and Makhmour mountains the previous night, where the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) operates.

"Such acts violate Iraq's sovereignty and security of citizens and are unacceptable on all levels," the statement said.

PKK fighters in Sinjar helped recapture the mountainous northern region from Islamic State rule in 2015.

Turkey, which has outlawed the PKK in its own territories, has said the operation was aimed to secure its border and prevent terror attacks.

Turkey's parliament in October renewed the military's mandate to carry out cross-border operations against its enemies in Syria and Iraq.