'PKK presence in Iraq is illegal': Iraq's National Security Adviser
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraq's National Security Adviser Qassim al-Araji said on Sunday that the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) presence in Iraq is illegal.
"The PKK presence in Iraq is illegal, and they should leave Sinjar and the other Iraqi areas," al-Araji told Iraq's News Agency.
The Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has long criticized the PKK's presence in the region.
Read More: Almost 6,000 people have been killed in the Turkish-PKK conflict since 2015
"The presence of PKK, especially with the ongoing conflict with Turkey, has been the reason that dragged Turkey into this area," Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani said in a multi-panel event organized by the Middle East Research Institute (MERI) in October.
Read More: Turkish airstrikes target suspected PKK positions in Iraq's disputed Makhmour, Sinjar
"So, the PKK could have done all of us a favor to have left and not given any reason for the ongoing conflicts," he added.
Al-Araji also condemned the targeting of embassies by militias in Iraq.
"Some mercenary groups, under the pretext of confronting foreign forces, launch attacks against the foreign diplomatic missions in Iraq," he said.
"This is completely unacceptable," he warned. "Someone involved in such attacks has been captured by the Iraqi intelligence office and gave important information."
Read More: Iraq must not be used as base to attack neighboring countries: Sadr
Al-Araji affirmed that no foreign forces exist in Iraq, pointing out that only military advisors are present in Iraq under Baghdad's invitation.
"Our relation with America and the international coalition is not against Iran, and our relationship with Iran is not against America or the international coalition," al-Araji tweeted on Sunday.
علاقتنا مع أمريكا والتحالف الدولي ليست ضد ايران، وعلاقتنا مع ايران ليست ضد أمريكا والتحالف الدولي، وعلاقتنا مع السعودية ليست ضد ايران، وعلاقتنا مع ايران ليست ضدالسعودية .. العراق ينطلق من مصلحته الوطنية.
— قاسم الاعرجي (@qassimalaraji) February 6, 2022
He added that Iraq's relationship with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is also "not against Iran, and our relation with Iran is not against the KSA."