BAGHDAD, Iraq — The Iraqi Parliament has yet to respond to the recent Turkish military operations in the Kurdistan Region, which commenced on June 15. Despite calls from various parliament members representing different blocs, the issue remains unaddressed, with many viewing these actions as blatant violations of Iraqi sovereignty.
Eight months ago, the Iraqi House of Representatives convened a closed meeting to discuss Turkish military incursions in the Kurdistan Region. However, no concrete decisions emerged from this meeting. Since then, Turkey has increased its military budget and expanded operations in the area.
Individual Iraqi MPs have expressed strong objections to the recent Turkish activities, labeling them violations of Iraqi sovereignty. They are urging Iraqi authorities to address the issue and halt Turkey’s military incursions.
Yasir al-Husseini, head of the al-Amal parliamentary bloc, told Zoom News that a closed meeting was held eight months ago to address Turkish breaches of Iraqi sovereignty. He claims Turkey has increased its military budget with aims to “annex Kirkuk and Mosul provinces.”
The Turkish invasion was also discussed during a Coordination Framework meeting with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) leader Masoud Barzani on July 4 in Baghdad. Shiite leaders have expressed readiness to deploy their Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) to expel Turkish forces from Iraqi territory if needed.
“We are always opposed to Turkish military operations in the Kurdistan Region, as it is our border and our land. We have made it clear that, if needed, we will deploy the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) and security forces to protect the Kurdistan Region,” said Hussein Mardan, MP in the Coordination Framework, to Zoom News.
In response, the Kurdistan Democratic Party’s (KDP) faction in the Iraqi Parliament asserted that the Iraqi government is responsible for securing the borders of the Kurdistan Region and should act to halt the Turkish invasion.
“The Iraqi government is responsible for defending its borders to protect Iraq’s sovereignty, as the Kurdistan Region is an integral part of Iraq according to the constitution,” said Mahma Khalil, KDP’s MP in Iraqi Parliament.
According to the Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT), Turkish military operations in the Kurdistan Region, which began on June 15, have displaced 184 families, evacuated nine villages, damaged 19 homes, and burned 68,000 dunams of land. The operations have also injured one civilian, damaged electricity infrastructure in two villages, and disrupted networks in 110 villages.
With reporting by Akam Fahmi, Zoom News reporter in Baghdad.
