Everyone’s enemy: Iraq and Greece fortify against Erdogan’s attacks

Robeir al-Faris

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the sultan of terrorism, is striving to win the title of “everyone’s enemy”. The Turkish president plays the role of a thug who strikes in every direction, as he carries out strikes against Iraq and repeats his violations in the Eastern Mediterranean, which pushed Iraq to fortify against Ankara. Al-Arabiya reported that Iraqi officials confirmed sending reinforcements to the borders with Turkey due to Ankara’s violations of Iraqi sovereignty by breaching its borders with a drone that killed three border guards, including two senior officers.

On Wednesday, the Iraqi authorities announced the cancellation of the Turkish defense minister’s visit and summoned the Turkish ambassador in Baghdad, stressing their categorical rejection of Turkey’s bombing of Iraqi territory with a drone in the Sidakan area of Erbil Governorate in the Kurdistan region, which led to the killing of two officers and a soldier from the Iraqi armed forces.

Iraq denounced the act as a violation of its sovereignty and inviolability and an assault that violates international charters and laws that regulate relations between countries.

In a statement, Iraq’s Foreign Ministry stressed that Iraqi territory not to be used “as a headquarters or a corridor to harm any neighboring countries,” refusing to be an arena for conflicts and settling scores by foreign parties.

Arab Parliament Speaker Mishaal bin Fahm Al-Salami also condemned Turkey’s blatant bombing of Sidakan with a drone.

Salami stressed on Wednesday that “these blatant hostilities and repeated military breaches by the Turkish forces on Iraqi lands are a serious violation of the sovereignty of the Republic of Iraq, a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter, international law and international norms, a clear violation of UN Security Council decisions, and a lack of respect for good-neighborly relations.”

“The Arab Parliament fully stands with Iraq in preserving its security and the safety of its citizens and supports it in all measures taken to defend its sovereignty and confront any assault on its lands,” Salami said, adding that “the Arab Parliament is ready to work with the Iraqi Parliament to mobilize regional and international support to stop the repeated Turkish attacks on Iraqi lands.” He called on the UN Security Council to take immediate action to stop Ankara’s attacks on Iraq’s sovereignty in order to preserve security and peace in the region.

Salami also expressed his “sincere condolences to the Iraqi president, government, parliament and people for the victims of the attack.”

In a related context, Greek media revealed that the Greek army is preparing to move against Turkey, at a time when the Eastern Mediterranean region is witnessing tensions between the two countries due to oil and gas exploration. The Greek newspaper Kathimerini reported that “Greek naval frigates and warplanes are ready to take off at any time,” confirming that “the Greek army has prepared warships and planes to respond to any emergency from Turkey in the Mediterranean.”

Meanwhile, the Turkish navy issued a navigational notification saying that the Turkish ship Oruç Reis will conduct seismic surveys in the Eastern Mediterranean during the next two weeks.

The Greek Foreign Ministry announced that Athens has urged Turkey to stop its illegal actions in the Eastern Mediterranean, adding that these activities are provocative and undermine peace and security in the region, saying that “Greece will not accept extortion. It will defend its sovereign rights.”