Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations

Russian MFA Spokesman Mikhail Kamynin Answers a Media Question Regarding Situation on Turkish-Iraqi Border

Question: How does Moscow comment on reports of a new operation of Turkish troops in Iraq?

Answer: Moscow continues watching closely developments in the situation within the area of the Turkish-Iraqi border where Turkish troops are carrying out operations against militants of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party banned in Turkey, a part of whose infrastructure is in northern Iraq. This time, the move involves, judging from the information at hand, the introduction into the adjacent state’s territory of a considerably larger military group of up to ten thousand.

The Foreign Ministry of Russia has repeatedly spoken in favor of the necessity of strict observance of the principles of international law in resolving acute problems having international resonance. The attention of the Turkish side has been drawn to the necessity to display restraint and take into consideration the fact that military escalation may lead to a further exacerbation of the already highly complicated regional situation. This theme was also touched upon during the recent talks in Moscow of Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov with Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Babajan.

We are once again calling on the concerned parties to search for political ways of resolving the existing acute problems and be guided by the interests of respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq and ensuring security and stability in the region as a whole. It is equally important not to allow the territory of some or other states to be used as a bridgehead for terrorist activities against their neighbors.