The Foreign Ministry Senior Undersecretary of Iraq, Mr. Nizar Al-Khairallah, called the chargé d’affaires of the Turkish embassy in Baghdad on Monday, May 3, to the Ministry, and handed him a note of protest in which the Iraqi government expressed its deep dissatisfaction and condemnation of the presence of Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar on Iraqi soil where he met with Turkish forces that are illegally there without prior approval from the competent authorities of Iraq.
The note also condemned statements by the Turkish interior minister on Turkey’s intention to establish a permanent military base in northern Iraq.
The Iraqi Senior Undersecretary confirmed that the Iraqi Government categorically rejects the ongoing violations of Iraqi sovereignty, Iraqi territory, and airspace by Turkish armed forces and that the continuation of such an approach is not in line with friendly relations, good neighborliness, and valid international laws and rules.
He also said that resorting to unilateral military action is not an effective way to solve common security challenges.
