Middle East
Catherine Colonna, France’s minister for Europe and foreign affairs, in a press conference at the second Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership in Amman, Jordan on December 20, 2022. Photo: Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - France might sanction Iran and Turkey “if necessary” for their repeated attacks on Iraq and the Kurdistan Region’s territory in recent months, a top French official told Rudaw on Tuesday, after President Emmanuel Macron reiterated Paris’ support for the stability of Iraq during the second edition of the Baghdad Conference in Jordan.
Amman hosted the second Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership on Tuesday, attended by regional and international leaders and representatives, aimed at discussing the latest security developments of the MENA region, especially Iraq.
“We are talking to each body. My colleague Fuad [Hussein] knows that we are really concerned, and we talk to those responsible for these actions. And then, if necessary, we might take sanctions. We already did in the past,” Catherine Colonna, France’s minister for Europe and foreign affairs, told Rudaw’s Payam Sarbast regarding the recent frequent attacks from Iran and Turkey on areas in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
Attending the summit, Macron said that France remains committed to supporting Iraq’s stability, calling on the neighboring countries to respect Baghdad’s sovereignty.
"If we want to ensure the stability of Iraq, we have to solve problems with its neighbors," Iraqi state media cited Macron as saying.
Turkey launched its latest aerial campaign dubbed Operation Claw-Sword targeting Kurdish positions of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Syria and the Kurdistan Region on November 20, with Erdogan hinting that a ground operation would follow.
Iran has struck bases of Kurdish opposition parties in the Kurdistan Region on multiple occasions in the past few months, accusing the parties of arming the protesters of the Zhina (Mahsa) Amini demonstrations.
Amman hosted the second Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership on Tuesday, attended by regional and international leaders and representatives, aimed at discussing the latest security developments of the MENA region, especially Iraq.
“We are talking to each body. My colleague Fuad [Hussein] knows that we are really concerned, and we talk to those responsible for these actions. And then, if necessary, we might take sanctions. We already did in the past,” Catherine Colonna, France’s minister for Europe and foreign affairs, told Rudaw’s Payam Sarbast regarding the recent frequent attacks from Iran and Turkey on areas in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
Attending the summit, Macron said that France remains committed to supporting Iraq’s stability, calling on the neighboring countries to respect Baghdad’s sovereignty.
"If we want to ensure the stability of Iraq, we have to solve problems with its neighbors," Iraqi state media cited Macron as saying.
Turkey launched its latest aerial campaign dubbed Operation Claw-Sword targeting Kurdish positions of the People’s Protection Units (YPG) and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in northern Syria and the Kurdistan Region on November 20, with Erdogan hinting that a ground operation would follow.
Iran has struck bases of Kurdish opposition parties in the Kurdistan Region on multiple occasions in the past few months, accusing the parties of arming the protesters of the Zhina (Mahsa) Amini demonstrations.
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