Iraqi PM Kadhimi accuses Turkey of deadly Zakho bombardment

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi accused Turkey in a strongly-worded condemnation for the deadly bombardment that struck a tourist resort in Duhok’s Zakho district on Wednesday afternoon, killing at least eight and injuring dozens of others.

Kadhimi firmly condemned the bombardment, blaming Turkey and calling it a “blatant and flagrant violation of Iraqi sovereignty and the lives and security of Iraqi citizens,” adding that Baghdad reserves the “full right” to respond to such attacks and further accusing Ankara of not paying attention to Iraq’s continuous demands to stop violating the country’s sovereignty.

A number of other senior Iraqi officials were also quick to issue their condemnations of the tragedy.

President Barham Salih also strongly condemned the attack, saying “the Turkish bombing of Duhok … is condemned and denounced, and represents a violation of the country’s sovereignty and a threat to Iraqi national security,” and called the repetition of Ankara’s artillery strikes “unacceptable.”

All victims of the deadly bombardment were tourists from central and southern Iraq and were part of a 200-person tourist group, according to Zakho mayor Muhsin Bashir. 

Top Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr also lashed out at Turkey for the bombardment, suggesting Iraq to take measures against the repeated violation of its sovereignty by reducing diplomatic ties with Turkey, closing off air and land crossings, filing an official complaint to the UN, and annulling all security agreements with Ankara. Similar suggestions were echoed by political rival and leader of the Fatih Alliance, Hadi al-Amiri. 

Iraq’s foreign ministry strongly condemned the attack, calling it a “blatant violation of Iraq’s sovereignty” and saying “the highest levels of diplomatic measures will be taken.”

United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) condemned the Zakho bombardment, calling for "thorough investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the attack," also urging for Iraq's sovereignty to be respected. 

A security delegation alongside Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein to the site of the bombardment was also dispatched by Kadhimi, Iraq’s Security Media Cell said.

Ankara frequently launches attacks against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) positions in the Kurdistan Region, and on April 18 announced an operation targeting PKK hideouts in the mountainous areas of Metina, Zap, Avashin, and Basyan in Duhok province. The operation, dubbed Claw-Lock, is the fourth stage of Ankara’s Claw operations against the PKK in the Kurdistan Region, with the first starting in 2019.

The PKK is an armed group fighting for the increased rights of Kurds in Turkey and is designated a terrorist organization by Ankara. 

Despite Turkey’s denial, its assaults across its southern border with the Kurdistan Region continue to lead to civilian casualties who are often caught in the crossfire. 

International Crisis Group says that the Turkey-PKK conflict has killed at least 597 civilians and 266 “individuals of unknown affiliation” since July 2015.

Ankara has received widespread condemnation from Baghdad, Erbil, and the international community for continuing to violate Iraqi sovereignty. Its recent military operation has been labeled as a “hostile” and “provocative” violation of Iraq’s territory by Iraqi officials.