Iraq Slams Turkey for Extending Mandate for US-British Forces

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, June 27, 2002

Iraq Slams Turkey for Extending Mandate for US-British Forces

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Iraq on Thursday blasted a decisionmade by the Turkish parliament earlier this month to extend the mandate for U.S.-Britain warplanes to continue to use its base to enforce the no-fly zone in northern Iraq.

"Iraq denounces the Turkish decision, through which the United States and Britain have kept on their aggressions against Iraq," anIraqi Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a statement carried by theofficial Iraqi News Agency (INA).

The spokesman said that the decision by the Turkish parliament "contradicts its deeds to enhance the good terms between the two neighboring countries."

"Iraq holds Turkey wholly responsible for aggressions that may inflict more harm on the Iraqi people," the spokesman added.

Iraq has repeatedly condemned Turkey's extension of the mandate of the U.S.-British planes in its territory as a violation of the United Nations Charter, the international law and norms of good neighborhood.

The Turkish parliament on June 18 extended the mandate of joint U.S.-British forces in the Muslim country for another six months, starting from June 30.

Turkey has been hosting U.S.-British planes to monitor Iraq's northern no-fly zone, set up by the U.S.-led Western coalition in the wake of the 1991 Gulf War with the claimed aim of protecting the Kurds in northern Iraq from the persecution of the Iraqi government.

A similar air exclusion zone was also set up in southern Iraq toprotect the Shiite Muslims there.

Iraq does not recognize the two no-fly zones for lack of clear authorization by the U.N. Security Council and has regularly fired at Western planes patrolling the two air exclusion zones.

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