Iraqi CP condemns Turkey’s air strikes in Iraqi territories

Iraqi Communist Party condemns

Turkey’s air strikes in Iraqi territories

The Iraqi Communist Party condemned Turkey’s air strikes inside Iraqi territories and called for an immediate halt to the violation of Iraq’s sovereignty. The airstrikes are part of the security and military campaign launched by the Turkish regime against the members and supporters of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK that has also targeted supporters of opposition Kurdish parties.

Raid Fahmi, the Deputy Secretary of the Central Committee of the Iraqi CP said that waging war on forces that are ferociously fighting against “Isis” can only constitute support for this terrorist organization.

Fahmi told “Tareeq Al-Shaab” (People’s Path), the daily newspaper issued by Iraqi CP, that as a result of mounting international pressure on the Turkish government to take a firm practical stance against terrorist organizations, especially Isis which has enjoyed a haven inside Turkey and is provided with logistic support and helped to transfer terrorist recruits across the borders to Syria and Iraq, the Turkish forces attacked few Isis positions inside Syria, close to the Turkish borders. The Turkish government also announced that it will continue operations against terrorist forces inside and outside Turkey.

Fahmi said that “in a development that reveals the real motives behind this move and the intentions of the Turkish president Rajab Tayyib Erdogan, the Turkish security forces launched a large-scale campaign to pursue members and supporters of the PKK which also targeted some supporters of opposition Kurdish parties under the pretext that they are cooperating with a terrorist organization. The Turkish government has considered PKK a terrorist organization on equal footing with Daesh (Isis)”.  

Fahmi added that along with the campaign of arrests the Turkish air force bombed targets inside the Iraqi territories, in the Kurdistan region, which constitutes a blatant violation of Iraqi sovereignty. In addition, positions of the Kurdish resistance forces that have been courageously fighting against Isis gangs in Syria were targeted.

“These developments have resulted in the collapse of the truce between the Turkish government and PKK”. He added that Erdogan’s government bears the main responsibility for the halt in the peaceful process with the Kurds in Turkey. 

Fahmi pointed out that “waging war against forces that are ferociously fighting against the terrorist organization Isis, and achieving victories over it, can only constitute support for Isis and reduces pressure that is exerted on it. This raises an important question mark over the seriousness of Turkey’s decision to fight Isis”. He added that this clearly reveals the intention to employ these positions for internal political and election purposes by the ruling party in Turkey which did not win a majority in the recent elections, could not form a government on its own and strives to impose early elections.”

The Deputy Secretary of the Central Committee of Iraqi CP called on the Turkish government “to halt immediately the violations of Iraqi national sovereignty, end the air strikes inside our territories, stop its operations against the Kurdish forces, and return to the course of negotiations and peaceful settlement in the interest of security and stability of Turkey, Iraq and the region.”

Fahmi stressed that “Daesh (Isis) terrorism is not only a grave threat to the states of the region, but to various states in the world. It is therefore unacceptable to target forces and groups that are taking part in the fight against Isis, especially that these forces are achieving significant successes in their battles with Isis”.

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* “Tareeq Al-Shaab” (People’s Path), the daily newspaper issued by Iraqi CP, 3^rd August 2015.