Shafaq News- Baghdad/ Ankara

Sinjar is a sovereign Iraqi matter and must be resolved through national constitutional mechanisms, lawmaker Murad Ismail said on Thursday, rejecting Turkish remarks about the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) presence in the district.

Speaking with Shafaq News, the Yazidi Cause Alliance (Tahaluf Al-Qadiyah Al-Yazidiyah) MP dismissed claims that Sinjar poses a threat to neighboring states and vowed that his bloc would coordinate with Iraqi authorities to integrate local Yazidi forces into official security institutions to strengthen state control.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan earlier signaled the possibility of new military action in northern Iraq and warned that armed group activity in Sinjar and Makhmour undermines Iraqi sovereignty. Baghdad responded by summoning Turkiye’s Ambassador Anil Bora Inan and delivering a formal protest over what it described as interference in internal affairs.

Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli later noted that Fidan’s remarks were misinterpreted in translation, reaffirming Ankara’s respect for Iraq’s sovereignty.

Sinjar has remained a sensitive security file since it was retaken from ISIS in 2015. PKK-affiliated elements established a presence in the area, prompting repeated Turkish cross-border strikes targeting what Ankara describes as PKK positions, including drone and air attacks.

Turkiye also still designates the PKK as a terrorist organization, despite an ongoing domestic peace process aimed at dissolving the group and disarming its fighters.

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