52 Iraqi MPs call on parliament to discuss Turkish airstrikes

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A group of 52 Iraqi parliamentarians are officially calling on the parliament, with the presence of the prime minister, to discuss Turkish bombardments against the northern areas of the Kurdistan Region.

"We have submitted a request to the speaker of the parliament, calling on him to discuss the issue of Turkish airstrikes in a session, in the presence of Adil Abdul-Mahdi, prime minister of Iraq, the interior minister, and other relevant ministers," Kawa Mohammed, a Kurdish MP from the Change Movement (Gorran)  told Rudaw.

Mohammed condemned Turkish airstrikes, saying such aggression "violate the sovereignty of Iraq" and that they "must stop".

Four civilians were killed on Thursday in a Turkish airstrike near the village of Kurtak, at the foot of the Qandil Mountains, where the PKK is headquartered. 

Another civilian was killed by Turkish jets just the day before in  Bradost, a village 60 kilometers  north-east of Erbil.  

The KRG voiced its “deep concern” over the deaths, blaming the PKK for putting locals in harm’s way. 

“The presence of PKK fighters in these areas, intentionally approaching and visiting villages and inhabited places, recklessly endangers the lives of the villagers in these areas,” read the KRG statement published early on Saturday.

The statement did not condemn the Turkish airstrikes, which regularly kill civilians and livestock and often cause wildfires.

 
In January, protestors stormed a Turkish military outpost in Shiladze, in Duhok province, angered Turkish airstrikes that killed at least six civilians in one week. 

Gorran MP Mohammed said the Iraqi government must also be "committed to take the responsibility to protect the security and not accept the frequent Turkish airstrikes."

He added that if Iraq wanted to, Baghdad could file a lawsuit against Turkey at the United Nations Security Council. 

"Iraq must have a strong political will and mobilize support to prevent such violations," he said.

The Iraqi government has yet to comment on the airstrikes.

Civilians are frequently caught in the crossfire between Turkey and the PKK and hundreds of villages have been emptied to escape the fighting. Baghdad and Erbil have both called on Turkey to halt its attacks, while simultaneously demanding the PKK leave their territories.

There was a short-lived peace process between Turkey and the PKK which ended in failure on July 20, 2015. Since then, at least 4,397 people, including security forces, PKK fighters, and civilians have been killed, according to the International Crisis Group (ICG).

Turkey launched Operation Claw in late May to drive the PKK away from its border with the Kurdistan Region. 

The Turkish defense ministry claimed on Friday it had “neutralized” 112 PKK fighters since the beginning of the operation.

Ankara uses the word neutralized to refer to those killed, wounded, or otherwise removed from the battlefield.