Iraq Condemns Iran’s Violation of its Sovereignty

Members of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) check the damage after a rocket attack inside their headquarters in Koysinjaq. (AFP)
Members of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) check the damage after a rocket attack inside their headquarters in Koysinjaq. (AFP)
TT
20

Iraq Condemns Iran’s Violation of its Sovereignty

Members of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) check the damage after a rocket attack inside their headquarters in Koysinjaq. (AFP)
Members of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) check the damage after a rocket attack inside their headquarters in Koysinjaq. (AFP)

Baghdad on Sunday condemned Iran’s attack against the Kurdistan Region’s town of Koya as a violation of the country’s sovereignty.

“The Ministry affirms Iraq’s keenness on the security of its neighbors and its refusal to allow its territory to be used to threaten the security of those countries,” Ahmed Mahjoub, a spokesperson for the Iraqi Foreign Ministry, said in a statement.

He added that Iraq “categorically rejects” the violation of its sovereignty via bombings “without prior coordination with the Iraqi authorities, to spare civilians of the effects of such operations.”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards boasted earlier that it had launched the missiles.

On Saturday, at least 14 Kurds were killed after Tehran launched seven missile strikes on bases of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) in the province of Koya.

Koya, also known as Koysinjaq, is located in the eastern Erbil province.

The party had said Sunday that a drone was flying above the PDKI’s headquarter where a meeting was taking place before it was attacked by Katyusha missiles.

“The attack was carried out using seven Fateh-110 type short-range surface-to-surface missiles,” an IRGC statement said, without disclosing the location they were launched from.

The IRGC asserted that opposition groups have led to “widespread insecurity” in Rojhilati provinces and have deprived locals of “safety and peace.”

Later, Iran’s news agency Tasnim broadcast footage of the attack.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei urged Iran's armed forces on Sunday to increase their power to "scare off" the enemy.

“Increase your power as much as you can, because your power scares off the enemy and forces it to retreat," his official website quoted him as saying at a graduation ceremony for cadets of Iran's regular armed forces.



Turkish Court Rejects Appeal Seeking Release of Key Erdogan Rival from Jail

Supporters of Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and main rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, protest outside his prison during his first hearing over accusations leveled against him, as Turkish gendarmerie banned them to approach to the Marmara Prison, formerly Silivri Prison, and Courthouse Complex in Istanbul, Türkiye, April 11, 2025. (Reuters)
Supporters of Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and main rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, protest outside his prison during his first hearing over accusations leveled against him, as Turkish gendarmerie banned them to approach to the Marmara Prison, formerly Silivri Prison, and Courthouse Complex in Istanbul, Türkiye, April 11, 2025. (Reuters)
TT
20

Turkish Court Rejects Appeal Seeking Release of Key Erdogan Rival from Jail

Supporters of Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and main rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, protest outside his prison during his first hearing over accusations leveled against him, as Turkish gendarmerie banned them to approach to the Marmara Prison, formerly Silivri Prison, and Courthouse Complex in Istanbul, Türkiye, April 11, 2025. (Reuters)
Supporters of Ekrem Imamoglu, the mayor of Istanbul and main rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, protest outside his prison during his first hearing over accusations leveled against him, as Turkish gendarmerie banned them to approach to the Marmara Prison, formerly Silivri Prison, and Courthouse Complex in Istanbul, Türkiye, April 11, 2025. (Reuters)

Judicial officials on Monday rejected an appeal seeking the release of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu from jail pending the outcome of his corruption trial, the country's state-run news agency reported.

Imamoglu, a prominent opposition figure and a key challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s more than two-decade rule, was detained on March 19 and formally jailed on corruption charges four days later.

His arrest is widely perceived to be politically motivated, aiming to sideline a major rival ahead of presidential elections, which currently are scheduled for 2028 but could take place earlier.

The mayor’s arrest and subsequent removal from office has triggered the largest wave of anti-government protests in Türkiye in over a decade. The government insists that the judiciary operates independently and without political interference.

On Monday, the Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance ruled to reject the appeals made by Imamoglu’s lawyers, deciding that his detention would continue, the Anadolu Agency reported.

Lawyers representing the mayor had argued that the investigation into Imamoglu was allegedly conducted in violation of legal standards. They are expected to renew the appeals request.

The court also rejected appeals requests for Murat Ongun — the chairman of a media company affiliated with the Istanbul municipality and close Imamoglu aide — and other suspects who were arrested on corruption charges alongside the mayor, the agency said.

A lawyer representing Imamoglu could not confirm the report, saying the decision had not been formally communicated to him.