ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — The Iraqi presidency in a statement on Sunday criticized the Kurdistan Workers’ Party’s (PKK) presence in the Kurdistan Region and spoke out against the group’s use of Iraqi territory for its fight against Turkey.
A statement from the presidency’s spokesperson said the “military presence of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Iraqi territory including in Kurdistan Region is an unlawful presence.”
“Iraq will not allow its territory to be used as a staging post for any hostile action against any of its neighbors," the statement added.
The statement comes after an incident on Saturday in which five Peshmerga were killed and seven injured in an “attack” in Duhok’s Amedi district, according to a statement from the Peshmerga ministry.
Deputy Peshmerga Minister Sarbast Lazgin told Rudaw they fell into a PKK “trap.” The PKK, however, denied the claims, saying they had only fired warning shots to stop Peshmerga forces from nearing their position.
The PKK is an armed group fighting for greater rights for Kurds in Turkey. The party’s headquarters are based in the mountains of the Kurdistan Region, where the party is most active.
The People's Defence Forces (HPG) command - the PKK’s military wing – claimed the incident was caused by a mine explosion, adding that they do not want to start a civil war.
The US Consulate in Erbil joined a wide wave of condemnation of the attack in a tweet.
The Saturday incident comes as the PKK have been engaged in a weeks-long fight with Turkish forces in the area. Turkey launched twin operations Claw-Lightning and Claw-Thunderbolt against the PKK within the Kurdistan Region’s borders on April 23.We condemn in strongest terms the deadly PKK attack yesterday against our brave Peshmerga partners. Our thoughts are with the families of those killed & wounded. We stand with our friends in the IKR & reaffirm our commitment to working together to bring security to the region. pic.twitter.com/ODRrLGuPZ6
— U.S. Consulate General Erbil (@USConGenErbil) June 6, 2021
The focus of the operation is within the Metina and Avashin areas of northern Duhok province, which have been regularly bombarded.
In its statement, the presidency said, “Violations of Iraqi sovereignty must be stopped,” adding “Turkish military presence in the Kurdistan Region and Mosul, which is a violation of the principle of good neighborliness, and is inconsistent with international norms and instruments, should be withdrawn.”
Clashes occasionally take place between the PKK and Peshmerga forces. Earlier in May, clashes erupted between the PKK and Peshmerga’s Halgurd Command, affiliated with the ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP).
In December, one Peshmerga was killed and three PKK fighters were heavily injured in fighting, one of whom later passed away, in clashes between the two sides in Duhok’s Amedi district.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and members of the party have on several occasions expressed their concern over the PKK’s presence in the region, questioning the party’s agenda.
“The PKK has clear antagonism against the Kurdistan Region. They have never held back to take the Kurdistan Region, that has been earned through thousands of martyrs, away from Kurds,” former Iraqi military chief of staff Babakir Zebari said in May. “This is their only goal, wherever there are Turkish troops, they go and drag them deep into the Kurdistan Region.”
Top Kurdish leader Masoud Barzani on November 2 accused the group of taking advantage of the fight against the Islamic State (ISIS) group to invade the autonomous region in northern Iraq.
