Iraqi FM: "Turkey violated Iraqi sovereignty 22,700 times since 2018"

The Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said to MPs in an extraordinary session of Iraq's House of Representatives on Saturday that the only accord between Turkey and Iraq regarding Turkey's cross border operations in Iraq is dated 1984, and it allowed Turkish forces to enter Iraqi territory to a depth of only 5 km and for a duration of just one year.

Hussein noted that over 22,700 violations of Iraqi sovereignty by Turkey have been recorded within the last four years, and that the ministry submitted 296 memoranda of protest against these violations.

The parliamentary session was held regarding an artillery attack in Duhok, Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), that killed nine civilians and injured at least 23 on 20 July.

Hussein added that the United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency session next Tuesday on Iraq’s request, to discuss the Turkish attacks on Iraqi soil, stressing that the latest incident was a clear violation of Iraqi sovereignty and international conventions.

He said:

“The Iraqi government wishes to find appropriate solutions with the Turkish side through negotiation, and to refrain from methods that will lead to escalation.”