Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari has said that his country “will not allow the presence of any foreign troops on its territory to conduct military operations in any neighboring country.”
Jaafari’s remarks came as a response to statements made a few days ago by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, pointing to the possibility of carrying out a military operation in the Sinjar province, which is predominantly inhabited by Yazidis, to hunt down Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants.
Jaafari met on Wednesday with Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Yildiz in Baghdad. A statement issued by his office said the Iraqi minister emphasized deep relations with Turkey, but expressed “absolute rejection” of any violation by Turkish forces to Iraq’s borders.
The minister underlined the need for Turkish troops to withdraw from the city of Baasheka, adding that he called on his Turkish guest to maintain coordination between the two countries to overcome challenges and contribute to the region’s security and stability.
According to the statement, Yildiz reiterated Turkey’s commitment to support the Iraqi people at all levels and its determination to increase trade exchange, back the Iraqi economic sector, provide skills and expertise and boost the number of Turkish companies operating in Iraq.
In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Researcher Saeb Khodr did not rule out the interference of Turkish forces in Sinjar to fight PKK militants.
“Yazidis in general are very concerned about the Turkish threats, especially with repetitive hints by Turkish officials in this regard,” he said.
He added that the Iraqi foreign minister’s rejection of foreign meddling “has reassured the Yazidi circles, even if the Turkish government failed to abide by the Iraqi request.”
