Iraq calls for a UN resolution to oblige withdrawal of Turkish forces from Iraq

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein on Tuesday blamed the Duhok attack once again on Turkey and demanded the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to pass a resolution obliging the withdrawal of all Turkish forces from his country, in a UNSC meeting about the latest bombing.

Hussein reaffirmed that Iraq had no security agreement with Turkey allowing military action on Iraqi soil and Iraq has sent 296 diplomatic notes to Turkey to stop its violations since 2018.

“The Turkish government should be compelled to pay compensation for the damage done to unarmed civilians and the damage to tourism activities because of the recent bombing,” Hussein said. 

In response to Hussein, Turkey’s UN representative Oncu Keceli denied responsibility for the attack and passed it onto the PKK (Kurdistan Workers Party).

“The Iraqi Government is unable to establish effective sovereignty over certain parts of the north, where PKK dominates in an area of at least 10,000 square kilometers,” he said.

During the meeting Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, the UN Special Representative to Iraq updated the council about the Duhok attack and gave the details about the attack that killed nine civilians, including three children.

“This horrific attack on a well-known and clearly identifiable tourist site demonstrates a shocking disregard for civilian life and for the universally accepted standards of international humanitarian and human rights law which seek to protect civilians,” she said.

Each of the members of the UNSC condemned the attack but none of them blamed any significant country or organization.