Region | Iraq
Parliament condemns 'cruel' Turkish strikes
Iraq's parliament yesterday strongly condemned Turkish air strikes inside northern Iraq, saying it was a "cruel attack" on Iraq's sovereignty.
- Agencies
- Published: 22:54 December 17, 2007
- Image Credit: AP
- The Qlatooka village near Iraq's border which was bombed by Turkish war planes early Sunday in the largest aerial attack against the outlawed separatist group in recent years.
Baghdad/ Brussels: Iraq's parliament yesterday strongly condemned Turkish air strikes inside northern Iraq, saying it was a "cruel attack" on Iraq's sovereignty.
"We strongly condemn this cruel attack on Iraqi sovereignty and on the principle of friendly neighbourhood," the parliament said in a statement. It said the bombings resulted in "several innocent civilian casualties," but gave no further details of victims.
Earlier, the European Union expressed concern at Turkey's air raids and urged Ankara to show restraint.
"The Presidency calls on the Turkish authorities to exercise restraint, to respect the territorial integrity of Iraq and refrain from taking any military action that could undermine regional peace and stability," EU president Portugal said in a statement.
The Turkish military said it attacked targets of the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party on Sunday with the approval of US occupying forces in Iraq. The United States said only that it had been informed in advance of the operation.
Turkey is a candidate negotiating for EU membership.
In Baghdad Iraqi leaders complained that Turkey had not coordinated with Baghdad before sending dozens of warplanes to bomb Kurdish rebel targets in northern Iraq - the largest aerial attack in years against the outlawed separatist group.
No coordination
The US embassy in Baghdad refused to comment on whether American officials had prior knowledge of Turkey's plans or had given its bombers permission to enter Iraqi airspace - as the head of Turkey's military had earlier said.
Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said the Iraqi government thought Turkey would coordinate with it before striking the rebels from the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, inside Iraq. He also indicated that the fact Iraqi civilians were killed showed Turkey had not hit the right target.
"What happened yesterday was based maybe on misinformation," Zebari said.
An Iraqi official said the planes attacked several villages, killing one woman. The rebels said two civilians and five rebels were killed. Turkey insisted the strikes were aimed at rebel targets and not at the civilian population.
As many as 50 fighter jets were involved in the airstrikes.
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