Iraq summons Turkish ambassador over "repeated aerial violations"

Source: Xinhua| 2018-12-15 04:52:23|Editor: Mu Xuequan
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BAGHDAD, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Foreign Ministry on Friday summoned the Turkish ambassador to Baghdad and handed him a letter of protest over "repeated aerial violations" to border areas in northern Iraq.

"The ministry condemns the violations of the Turkish aircraft to the Iraqi airspace that targeted several sites in Sinjar Mountain and Makhmour area in northern Iraq, which caused human casualties and property damage," the ministry said in a statement.

It said "such actions are violation to Iraq's sovereignty and its security and citizens, and are contrary to the principles of good-neighborliness."

"The Foreign Ministry also reiterates its refusal to use Iraqi territory as a base or a corridor to carry out acts that reflect the security of neighboring countries," it added.

Earlier, Kurdish media reported that Turkish warplanes on Thursday night bombed sites belonging to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) militants in the town of Sinjar and Mount Qarachokh near Makhmour area near the city of Erbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

According to Kurdish media, the bombing targeted a camp of displaced people, who are Kurds displaced from Turkey, and resulted in the killing of four and the wounding of three others in Makhmour area.

Turkish forces frequently carry out ground operations, airstrikes and artillery bombardment against the positions of PKK militants in northern Iraq, especially the Qandil Mountains, the main base of the PKK.

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