عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Arab League Voices Concern Over Escalation of Violence in Iraq

Arab League Voices Concern Over Escalation of Violence in Iraq
TT
TT

Arab League Voices Concern Over Escalation of Violence in Iraq

Arab League Voices Concern Over Escalation of Violence in Iraq

Arab League (AL) Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit urged on Tuesday all Iraqis to cooperate to contain their country’s crisis and maintain the recent gains achieved by the government.

He voiced concern and regret over the escalation of violence and the number of victims left in Iraq's protests.

He extended his condolences to the families of the victims, wishing a speedy recovery for the wounded.

“The current crisis requires self-restraint and all necessary measures to meet the people's demands,” an official AL source said.

The source stressed the League’s willingness to assume its responsibilities regarding Iraq and its people and adopt what is needed to preserve the country’s stability.

Earlier this month, massive protests erupted in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, and other central and southern provinces, calling for reform, accountability for corrupt people, improvement of public services and job opportunities.

Most Viewed

 
 
Arab World

Türkiye Continues Strikes on PKK in Iraq, Syria Despite Ocalan Call 

Syrian Kurds hold flags as they gather after Türkiye’s jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan called on his Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to lay down its arms, in Hasakah, Syria February 27, 2025. (Reuters)
Syrian Kurds hold flags as they gather after Türkiye’s jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan called on his Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to lay down its arms, in Hasakah, Syria February 27, 2025. (Reuters)
TT
TT

Türkiye Continues Strikes on PKK in Iraq, Syria Despite Ocalan Call 

Syrian Kurds hold flags as they gather after Türkiye’s jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan called on his Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to lay down its arms, in Hasakah, Syria February 27, 2025. (Reuters)
Syrian Kurds hold flags as they gather after Türkiye’s jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan called on his Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to lay down its arms, in Hasakah, Syria February 27, 2025. (Reuters)

Türkiye’s armed forces have killed 26 Kurdish militants in Iraq and Syria in the week after jailed militant leader Abdullah Ocalan's disarmament call, the defense ministry said on Thursday.

Ocalan last week called on his outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) to lay down its arms and dissolve, and the militant group declared an immediate ceasefire on Saturday.

"The Turkish Armed Forces will continue its operations and search-scanning activities in the region for the survival and security of our country," the defense ministry spokesperson told a weekly press briefing.

"(It) will continue its fight against terrorism with determination and resolve until there is not a single terrorist left," the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson Zeki Akturk said the PKK militants had been "neutralized" in Iraq and Syria, without specifying where the incidents took place. The ministry's use of the term "neutralized" commonly means killed.

The PKK, designated a terrorist group by Türkiye and its Western allies, said it was ready to convene a congress, as Ocalan urged, but the necessary security conditions should be established for him to "personally direct and run" it.

The Syrian Kurdish YPG, the spearhead of the key US ally against ISIS in Syria that Ankara views as an extension of the PKK, has said Ocalan's message did not apply to them.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Saturday Türkiye would continue operations against the PKK if the group's process of disarmament is stalled or promises are not kept.

Erdogan's ruling AK Party spokesman Omer Celik said all Kurdish militants in Iraq and Syria, including the US-allied Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), must lay down their weapons.