Iraq hands Turkey's ambassador a "strongly-worded" protest note following its offensive in Kurdistan 

Shafaq News/ Iraq's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday handed Turkey's ambassador, Alireza Guney, to Baghdad a "strongly-worded" note to protest Ankara's offensive inside the territory of the Kurdistan Region and northern Iraq.

In a press release it issued earlier today, the Ministry said that Guney was summoned against the background of turkey's incursion and violation of Iraq's territory.

The statement said that Guney was handed a protest note demanding Turkey to refrain from carrying out such "provocative deeds and deplorable violations."

"The Iraqi government reiterates its call for the total withdrawal of Turkish forces from the Iraqi territory in a manner that reflects its national sovereignty," the Ministry said.

"Iraq has the legal right to take the necessary measures in accordance with the United Nations Charter and the international law principles relevant to unilateral offensives taking place without coordinating with the Iraqi government," it concluded.

In a new offensive launched yesterday, new offensive, Turkish military forces struck a dozen suspected targets of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, the Turkish Defense Ministry said.

The air and ground offensive, codenamed Operation Claw Lock, began in Metina, Zap and Avasin-Basyan in Kurdistan in the early hours of Monday.

Sharing images from the operation, Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that Turkish jets have struck shelters, bunkers, caves, tunnels, ammunition depots and the military headquarters of the PKK.

 The separatist group uses its bases in northern Iraq to stage attacks on Turkey. It is considered a terrorist group by Turkey as well as the United States and the European Union.