Turkiye dismisses Iraq's 'baseless' objections to its latest anti-terror offensive

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) – Turkiye on Thursday dismissed Iraq’s “baseless” objections to Operation Claw-Lock, Ankara’s latest cross-border anti-terror operation against the PKK terrorist group.

Baghdad’s charge d’affaires was summoned to the Turkish Foreign Ministry and told in clear terms that Turkiye is well within its rights to act against a designated terrorist organization that “has been targeting our country from its bases in northern Iraq for nearly 40 years,” ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgic said in a statement.

Turkiye launched Operation Claw-Lock this week to target PKK hideouts in the Metina, Zap and Avasin-Basyan areas.

Iraq, however, raised concerns over the anti-terror offensive and called on Ankara to withdraw its forces.

Bilgic stressed that Iraqi authorities have failed to act decisively against the terror group despite Turkiye’s repeated requests.

He said Ankara is determined to root out the PKK, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by several countries and international organizations and is also “a threat to Iraq’s sovereignty and stability.”

“Turkiye is always ready to cooperate closely with Iraq in the fight against the PKK terrorist organization on the basis of common interests,” he added.

As long as Iraqi authorities do not take “solid and effective steps” against this threat, Turkiye will continue to take all necessary measures for self-defense, a right enshrined in Article 51 of the UN Charter, Bilgic asserted.

Since it came into existence in 1984, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Turkiye, the US and the European Union – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people in Turkiye, including women, children and infants.