Iraq wraps Turkey over airspace violations

GlobalPost

Iraq told Turkey today to stop entering its airspace without permission and threatened to take the issue to the UN Security Council, reported Reuters

Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh issued a statement saying Baghdad "condemns these violations to Iraq's airspace and sovereignty and warns Turkey against any violations of Iraq's airspace and territory."

More from GlobalPost: Turkey cozies up to the Kurdish regional government

The move is the latest in an increasingly unpleasant exchange between the two countries, with Baghdad slamming Ankara on Sunday over what it called an "illegal" oil deal between Turkey and Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region, reported Agence-France Press

Turkey's refusal to extradite Iraq's controversial Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, who is on the run, has further angered Iraq.  Al-Hashemi has been charged with killing six judges and other crimes.

Turkish military officials said their warplanes and helicopters have entered northern Iraq in order to target hideouts of the banned Kurdistan Workers Party, considered a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, said Reuters

Turkey has been fighting the group for decades, a conflict that has taken some 40,000 lives, according to Reuters

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