The charge d'affaires of the Iraqi Embassy has been called by Turkey's Foreign Ministry to justify Ankara's new cross-border operation in northern Iraq.
Ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgic expressed his "discomfort" at the Iraqi authorities' "baseless claims" against Turkey's military operation, called Claw-Lock, which targeted the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), as per reports.
The Turkish move came after the Iraqi Foreign Ministry summoned Turkey's ambassador on Tuesday in protest of Turkey's cross-border offensive in northern Iraq the day before. The Turkish action was denounced by Iraq as a violation of national sovereignty.
Ankara prefers that the Iraqi authorities remove the PKK, according to Bilgic, and is willing to cooperate in this regard. Turkey has designated the PKK, which has been fighting the Turkish government for more than three decades, as a "terrorist" organisation.
As long as the Iraqi authorities do not take meaningful and effective steps in this direction and the PKK continues to represent a threat to Turkey from Iraqi territory, Turkey will continue to take the required measures under the UN Charter's Article 51 right of self-defense, Bilgic said.
The Turkish offensive began two days after Iraq's Kurdistan Regional Government Prime Minister Masrour Barzani met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul. Erdogan thanked Iraqi authorities on Wednesday for their support of the military action, saying it was only for the sake of ensuring Turkey's border security.
Iraq summons Turkey envoy in protest at Kurdistan over military offensive
Iraqi Presidency says Turkey's cross-border operation threatens security, sovereignty
