Turkey rejects carrying out deadly strikes in northern Iraq

Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey was willing to cooperate with Iraqi authorities to shed light on the “treacherous attack.”

Turkey’s Foreign Minister on July 21 rejected accusations that the country's military carried out deadly artillery strikes against tourists in northern Iraq, as the Iraqi families of those killed laid their dead to rest.

In an interview with Turkish state broadcaster TRT, Mevlut Cavusoglu said Turkey was willing to cooperate with Iraqi authorities to shed light on the “treacherous attack.”

“According to the information we received from the Turkish Armed Forces, we did not conduct any attack against civilians,” Mr. Cavusoglu said. “Our fight in Iraq has always been against the [banned Kurdistan Workers Party] PKK terrorist organisation.”

“We reject the accusations that have been levelled against Turkey before the smoke screen has been lifted,” Mr. Cavusoglu said, adding that Turkey believed the attack was aimed at preventing Turkish military operations in the region. “Iraqi authorities must not fall into this trap,” he said.

Caskets carrying the bodies of those killed in artillery strikes on July 20 were transported from the semi-autonomous Kurdish-run northern region to the capital Baghdad for burial. At least four artillery shells struck the resort area of Barakh in the Zakho district in the Kurdish region.

Iraq’s military said eight people were killed in the attack, but nine caskets were loaded onto the military plane on July 21. Over 20 people were wounded.

The region’s President Nechirvan Barzani laid a wreath over one casket and helped carry it on board the military plane. Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein was also present, along with the families of those killed. All of the casualties were Iraqi citizens. A small child was among the victims.