Türkiye voices 'strong support' for Iraq’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, stability at UN

By Merve Aydogan

ANKARA (AA) - Türkiye’s deputy permanent representative at the UN has reiterated "strong support" for Iraq, expressing readiness to support Iraqi authorities in their investigations to uncover the facts behind last week's attack in Duhok province that killed nine civilians.

In his statement to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Oncu Keceli reiterated Türkiye's readiness to "take all the steps to unveil the truth" about the attack.

"They (Ankara) have rejected the allegations and expressed their support to the Iraqi authorities in their investigations," he noted, saying it is not the first time that Türkiye has been accused of such an incident.

Recalling the Aug. 22, 2021 attack, where two Iraqi tourists were killed around the same area, Keceli said: "Immediately after the incident, there was a campaign to blame my country for what happened. However, it was eventually revealed that the PKK terrorist organization was responsible for the attack."

He stressed that "Türkiye has always maintained its strong support for Iraq’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, stability and prosperity" and added that "the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq is breached by terrorist organizations, not by Türkiye."

The Iraqi government is not present in its northern territories, the Turkish diplomat also said, noting: "We estimate that the PKK controls an area of at least 10,000 square kilometers (3,861 square miles) in Iraq."

"And all these spots have become safe-havens for the terrorists," he added.

Last year alone, scores of civilians and security forces lost their lives or were injured in terrorist attacks carried out by the PKK in Iraq.

In its more than 35-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the US, and EU – has been responsible for the deaths of at least 40,000 people, including women, children, and infants.​​​​​​

"We reject and strongly condemn the representation of the PKK as an innocent group," Keceli said, adding that "Iraq has so far proven to be either unable or unwilling to fight the terrorists."

The Turkish official at the UN stressed that at least 339 attacks were conducted by the terrorist PKK against Türkiye in the first six months of this year.

"In the absence of Iraq’s ability and willingness to deal with the presence of terrorist organizations in its own territory, we are obliged to take appropriate measures," he said, citing Türkiye's right of self-defense "as outlined in Article 51 of the Charter of the UN."

Pledging to continue to be neighbors and friends, Keceli said Türkiye does not "want to see an Iraq fragmented over ethnic and sectarian lines."

"We do not want our bilateral relations to suffer as a result of domestic political calculations of certain groups in Iraq," he said, stressing that Türkiye's "unwavering support" to its neighbors "in their quest for stability and security will never fade."

Meanwhile, Keceli took the floor once again on hearing about an attack taking place against Türkiye's Consulate General in Mosul, Iraq.

"These attacks are an indicator of the Iraqi authorities' inability to establish sovereignty in their own lands," Keceli said as he urged "Iraqi authorities to refrain from discriminatory rhetoric, and to cooperate, including in the fight against terrorist organizations."

"According to the initial information received, we learned that no one was harmed in the incident in Mosul, but we hope that our diplomatic representations in Iraq will be safe, and this is important for establishing peace and better bilateral relations through diplomacy," he added.