Turkish incursion outrages Iraqi government

The Iraqi government has condemned Turkey’s incursion into the Kurdistan region, Reuters reported Tuesday.

Turkish troops entered northern Iraq last Thursday to fight Kurdish guerillas. Ali al-Dabbagh, a spokesman for the Iraqi government, denounced these actions stating, “The cabinet expressed its rejection and condemnation for the Turkish military interference, which is considered a violation of Iraq's sovereignty.” The spokesman added that the move will only weaken relations between Iraq and Turkey.

Turkish troops have been advancing on the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) because, as the article notes, Turkey claims “Iraqi authorities had failed for years to crack down on the rebels.” The article adds that “Baghdad has called for a diplomatic solution to resolve the PKK problem. It says it has taken some measures to deal with the rebels but is focused on trying to stabilize the rest of Iraq.”

In response to the raid, Washington urges Turkey to make the incursion as short as possible.

According to Turkish estimates, as of Tuesday, 19 Turkish soldiers have been killed, along with at least 153 PKK fighters.

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