Iraq Expresses Surprise at Iranian Chief of Staff Statements

 An Iraqi army helicopter releases flares during training at Basmaya military base in Baghdad November 25, 2011. . REUTERS/Mohammed Ameen
An Iraqi army helicopter releases flares during training at Basmaya military base in Baghdad November 25, 2011. . REUTERS/Mohammed Ameen
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Iraq Expresses Surprise at Iranian Chief of Staff Statements

 An Iraqi army helicopter releases flares during training at Basmaya military base in Baghdad November 25, 2011. . REUTERS/Mohammed Ameen
An Iraqi army helicopter releases flares during training at Basmaya military base in Baghdad November 25, 2011. . REUTERS/Mohammed Ameen

The Iraqi Army Chief of Staff expressed surprise at statements made by the Iranian Chief of Staff, Major General Muhammad Hossein Bagheri, regarding hostile movements from Iraq towards his country.

Tehran has for years been bombing and chasing a group of Iranian Kurdish parties in the Kurdistan region of Iraq, including the Free Life party known as PJAK, which is active on the border strip between Iraq and Iran in the Sulaymaniyah Governorate. Tehran justifies attacking Iraqi territory by claiming that it is chasing opposition groups.

In a statement, the Iraqi Chief of Staff said that the bilateral relations “that bind us with the neighboring Republic of Iran are close ties based on cooperation and good neighborliness, and they have witnessed a remarkable development recently at all levels, especially in the security and military aspects.”

The statement added: “We express our surprise at the unjustified statements recently attributed to the Chief of the General Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Muhammad Hoossein Bagheri, regarding the presence of hostile movements from Iraqi territory towards the Iranian Republic.”

The statement stressed that Iraq “strongly rejects the use of its territory for aggression against its neighbors, and adheres to good neighborliness and brotherly relations with neighboring countries.”

It also underlined “the need for all sides to commit to the language of brotherhood and cooperation in joint relations.”

Earlier, Iranian media quoted Major General Bagheri as saying that anti-Iranian terrorist groups are “active in the Kurdistan region of Iraq because of the regional authorities’ disregard, and the weakness of the central Iraqi government due to the US military presence.”

He added: “These groups, after years of failure and retreat, have been active over the past year at the instigation of America, Israel and some Arab countries in the region, and they began their attempts to expand their terrorist operations. Although they have not yet been able to achieve what they want, they are working to disrupt security in some border areas, and Iran will not allow this to happen.”



Arrests Made in Türkiye over Calls for Shopping Boycott to Support Istanbul's Imprisoned Mayor

Fine art university students shout slogans as they march past an Expresso Lab coffee bar during a peaceful protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Fine art university students shout slogans as they march past an Expresso Lab coffee bar during a peaceful protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
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Arrests Made in Türkiye over Calls for Shopping Boycott to Support Istanbul's Imprisoned Mayor

Fine art university students shout slogans as they march past an Expresso Lab coffee bar during a peaceful protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Fine art university students shout slogans as they march past an Expresso Lab coffee bar during a peaceful protest after Istanbul's Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was arrested and sent to prison, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Turkish police detained 11 people Thursday for supporting a shopping boycott as part of protests against the imprisonment of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s main rival, state-run media reported.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office issued arrest warrants for 16 suspects in an investigation into “hatred and discrimination” and “inciting hatred and hostility” among the public, the Anadolu news agency said.

Among the detained was actor Cem Yigit Uzumoglu, who played Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror in the Netflix docuseries “Rise of Empires: Ottoman,” the Actors’ Union said.

The suspects were held over social media posts calling on people to not to spend money on Wednesday and for businesses to shut their doors in solidarity during the daylong boycott, The AP news reported.

Large-scale anti-government protests began last month after the arrest of Istanbul's opposition Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on corruption charges that critics say are politically motivated. The government insists the judiciary is independent and free of political interference.

Istanbul prosecutors on Tuesday launched a criminal investigation into earlier boycott calls by Imamoglu’s party targeting companies it alleges support the government. In particular, the opposition identified media firms that did not air images of protests in which hundreds of thousands of people flooded the streets to call for Imamoglu’s release and an end to democratic backsliding.

The leader of Imamoglu’s Republican People’s Party, or CHP, issued a warning after authorities blocked social media accounts supporting Wednesday's boycott.

“We know that you have closed hundreds of pages to date,” Ozgur Ozel wrote on X. “If you become a tool for anti-democratic practices today, if you implement access ban demands, think carefully about what this nation will do to you!”

While in prison, Imamoglu has been confirmed as the CHP's presidential candidate. The next election is currently scheduled for 2028 but is likely to take place earlier.

According to the independent ANKA News Agency, some 2,000 people have been detained since Imamoglu was arrested on March 19, with 316 jailed pending trial. Most face charges relating to participating in protests.

Lawyers for imprisoned protesters on Wednesday said many had suffered mistreatment. The government has not responded to the allegations but on Thursday the police issued a statement denying claims that women had been sexually assaulted in custody as “vile slanders.”