Iraq cancels visit of Turkish defense minister to Baghdad, summons ambassador of Ankara

SANAA, Aug. 12 (YPA) – The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the cancellation of the Turkish defense minister’s visit to Baghdad, next Thursday, in protest against his country’s bombing of Iraqi areas.
The ministry said, in a press statement Tuesday, that “Iraq categorically rejects and strongly condemns the blatant attack by Turkey in the bombing of Iraqi territory in the Sidakan area of ​​the Erbil Governorate in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq with a drone, which caused the death of two officers and a soldier from the heroic Iraqi armed forces. “.
The ministry added that “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. It also violates the principle of good neighborliness, which should be a reason for the keenness to carry out the participatory security work in the service of both sides.”
The Iraqi Foreign Ministry indicated that “the repetition of such acts, and the failure to respond to the demands of Iraq to stop the violations and withdraw the Turkish forces penetrating within our international borders, a call for a review of the volume of cooperation between the two countries at various levels.”
The ministry continued: “Iraq affirms that its lands are not used as a headquarters or a corridor to harm and harm any of the neighboring countries, and also refuses to be an arena for conflicts and settling scores for external parties.”
The ministry also announced that it would summon the Turkish ambassador to Baghdad, Fatih Yildiz, and “hand him a strong protest note, and inform him of Iraq’s confirmed rejection of the attacks and violations of his country.”