Kurdish Regional Government ask Turkey to apologize for raids

Politicians the Kurdistan Regional Government on Friday have asked Turkey to apologize for a week of air strikes across the border and has called for a closure of Turkish military bases inside Iraqi territory. 

After local officials reported a Turkish air strike killed seven civilians on Sunday, protests were staged in the capital Erbil (Hewler) and other towns. 

In the first official comment from Turkey on the civilian deaths, the Turkish authorities denied any casualties. But Iraq's central government has summoned the Turkish ambassador to demand an end to air strikes and the regional Kurdish government condemned the deaths. 

"We demand an end to the presence of Turkish military bases and their intelligence agencies in Kurdistan's territory," the Iraqi Kurdish parliament said in a statement. "We demand the Turkish government make a formal apology to the people and the Kurdistan government." 

According to Iraq's foreign ministry Turkey has around 1,300 military in Iraqi territory at small observation posts set up in the 1990s with the permission of Baghdad.

ANF / ERBIL/HEWLER

ANF NEWS AGENCY