By NNN-KUNA
Baghdad : Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari has warned that a potential Turkish incursion into northern Iraq would not be in the interest of bilateral relations between both countries.
Zebari made the warning during a meeting with Australian Ambassador to Iraq Mark Brown, late Monday, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said in a release here Tuesday.
During the meeting, they discussed tension on the Iraqi-Turkish border and Turkish threats of a looming raid on northern Iraq to flush out PKK fighters. “Any military incursion (into northern Iraq) will not serve relations between both countries,” Zebari said.
But, he said: “Iraq is ready to work earnestly to fight terrorist PKK activities. Iraq has several options to support his position at the Arab, international and European levels, while maintaining interest on ties with the sisterly neighbour Turkey.”
For his part, the Australian ambassador voiced his country’s concern over Turkish threats of a military attack on northern Iraq.
Turkey has 100,000 troops near the border and is threatening to attack the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Iraq. The group frequently launches deadly attacks on Turkish troops, and is accused by Ankara of using the Kurdish semi-autonomous area of northern Iraq as a safe haven.