Iraqi Parliament discusses the Turkish attack on Zahko

Shafaq News/ The Iraqi Parliament met in an extraordinary session to discuss the Turkish attack in the Zakho area, which killed nine civilians and wounded dozens.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fouad Hussein, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs explained the attack that targeted the village of Barakh in the city of Zakho last Wednesday.

In his speech, Hussein reviewed the relationship between Iraq and Turkey since the border demarcation between the two countries and the conclusion of agreements tens of years ago.

He reminded the Parliament of the official report signed by the former Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz and his Turkish counterpart in 1984 regarding allowing the Turkish Forces to enter 5 km inside the Iraqi territory for one year.

"More than 22,700 Turkish violations have been recorded since 2018 against the sovereignty of Iraq," Hussein said.

The Minister also pointed out that the Security Council will hold an emergency session next Tuesday to discuss the Turkish attacks on Iraq, especially since the latest incident is "a clear violation of Iraqi sovereignty and international conventions."

The Iraqi Minister called on the Parliament to act "against the Turkish policy in Iraq by opening the door to negotiations away from escalation."

In turn, the Minister of Defense, Jumaa Inad, and the military commanders submitted a report about the Turkish abuses and the presence of PKK elements inside Iraq.

MP Khaled Al-Obaidi, head of the Security and Defense Committee, deemed the military presence inside Iraq an "occupation," stressing the need to take the necessary measures to "stop Turkish interference and prevent the unjustified presence of terrorists in Iraq."

The Security and Defense Committee recommended expulsing the PKK elements from Iraq, withdrawing all Turkish forces, redeploying federal troops along Turkey's borders, and canceling security agreements with Turkey.

The deputies also focused on condemning the Turkish attack and calling on the Iraqi authorities to take the necessary measures to preserve the sovereignty and security of the state.

At the end of the session, the Parliament Speaker, Muhamad Al-Halbousi, directed to form of a parliamentary committee consisting of the Security, Defense, and Foreign Relations committees to follow up on the government's efforts and actions with international bodies to address the problem.