Kurdistan Government consider cutting ties with Turkey over aerial bombardments
Erbil, Aug. 27 (AKnews) – The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is currently discussing parliament’s call to sever relations with Turkey after seven civilians were killed in an air-launched rocket attack on Sunday.
Kurdistan’s parliament voted unanimously for a revision of diplomatic ties and the immediate expulsion of all Turkish intelligence agents from the region.
KRG spokesman Kawa Mahmoud told AKnews the government will study the demands of parliament with a view to implementing them without delay.
Over six successive days last week, Turkish jets started bombing ‘strategic’ sites in Kurdistan’s Qandil Mountains, in an intense drive to dislodge the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) guerillas from their hideouts.
Turkey’s latest spate of attacks began just hours after at least eight Turkish soldiers were killed in a PKK ambush in southeast Turkey, close to the Kurdistan border.
The Turkish army has maintained transparency regarding the strikes, declaring that a total of 352 sites – held to be PKK bases – have been targeted to date.
Ankara has denied responsibility however for the attack that left seven Kurdish civilians – including three children – dead and so badly charred it was impossible to identify them or the brand of their car.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu accused the PKK of “fabricating” evidence to disseminate propaganda against Turkey.
Davutoglu maintained at the same time Turkey’s right to continue the attacks until the PKK have been wiped out.“If they (Baghdad and the KRG) do not clear their territories of terrorist cells, then we will,” he said.
Mahmoud said that the KRG’s position concerning relations its neighbor will be discussed with the region’s presidency before returning to parliament for validation.
By Fryad Mohammed
LH/KA/AKnews
