Iraq asked Turkey on Tuesday to stop attacking terrorists from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) sheltering across the border in northern Iraq, as Turkey prepares to extend its internal mandate for the raids.The Baghdad government's power over Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region is limited, but the comments are an indication of tensions with Turkey, which has given refuge to Iraq's fugitive vice president.
The Turkish government on Monday asked parliament to renew the mandate, expiring on Oct. 17, under which it has mounted mostly aerial raids on the PKK bases in Iraq's Kurdish region. Parliament is due to discuss it on Thursday.
"The cabinet objects to this motion, which contradicts the principle of good neighbourly relations," Iraqi government spokesman Ali Dabbagh said in a statement.
"It rejects the presence of any foreign bases or troops on Iraqi territory and the incursion of any foreign military forces into Iraqi lands on the pretext of hunting down rebels," he added, complaining of a "violation of Iraqi sovereignty and security".
He said the cabinet had advised parliament to cancel or refuse to renew any pre-existing agreements that would permit foreign states to enter Iraqi territory.
