Press Statement

Iraq categorically rejects, and strongly condemns the blatant attack carried out by Turkey by bombing Iraqi lands in the Sidakan area of the Erbil governorate in the Kurdistan region of Iraq by a drone that caused the death of two officers and a soldier from the heroic Iraqi armed forces.

Iraq considers this act a violation of the sovereignty and sanctity of the country, and a hostile act that violates international charters and laws that regulate relations between countries.

This act also contradicts the principle of good neighborliness, which should be the basis to carry out participatory security work in the service of both sides.
The repetition of such acts, and the failure to respond to Iraq’s demands to stop the violations and withdraw the Turkish forces that penetrated our international borders calls for a review of the volume of cooperation between the two countries at various levels.
Iraq stresses that its lands shall not be used as a headquarters or a corridor to harm any of the neighboring countries, and also refuses to be an arena for conflicts and settling scores of external parties.

We also announce the cancellation of the Turkish Defense Minister’s visit to Iraq, scheduled for Thursday, and the Foreign Ministry will summon the Turkish ambassador to hand him a strong letter of protest and inform him of Iraq’s confirmed rejection of his country’s attacks and violations.

Foreign Ministry
Baghdad
11/8/2020