ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Iraqi President Barham Salih reiterated Wednesday that neighboring Turkey must suspend its recent offensive against alleged Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) positions in the Kurdistan Region and disputed territories of Iraq, describing the ongoing operations as a “military violation” on Iraqi soil. Receiving a number of Arab countries’ ambassadors to Iraq, Salih stressed that Iraq maintains its sovereignty and “reiterated that Turkey has to suspend its military violations on the Iraqi soil,” according to a statement from his office. The Turkish foreign ministry has yet to respond to the Iraqi president’s latest statement. Turkey has launched a fresh offensive against alleged PKK positions on its borders with the Kurdistan Region and disputed areas since June 15. Air and ground forces are involved in the operations. The airstrikes have killed five civilians in the Region so far, in addition to the injuries of others. Iraqi top officials, including Salih, have repeatedly called on Ankara to suspend the offensive to no avail. Turkish ambassador to Baghdad, Fatih Yildiz, was summoned by Iraq’s foreign ministry twice. The ambassador announced later that Turkey would not be stopping their attacks. Iraqi border guards have set up five positions in strategic areas in Duhok province’s town of Zakho near the conflict area. Local officials have told Rudaw that this has de-escalated tensions and relieved local residents. The PKK is an armed group fighting for the political and cultural rights of Kurds in Turkey. The militants and Turkish government have engaged in fighting for decades, and Iraq has been one of their battlefields. Salih’s office denounced on June 26 the killing of five civilians by Turkish forces and “violations affecting national sovereignty as a result of the repeated Turkish military operations and its violation of Iraqi airspace, which killed a number of unarmed civilians.” Turkey’s foreign ministry said in a statement later in the day that the Iraqi presidency's statement "depended on untrue claims." "The claims in the statement are actually used by the terrorist organization of the PKK and its supporters to defame our anti-terrorism operations. Iraqi authorities should not be tools for terrorists' propaganda," read the statement.
