Iraqi Foreign Ministry Responds to Fidan’s Remarks: Interference in Internal Affairs and Harm to Bilateral Relations

Welat TV – Erbil

The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its dissatisfaction with recent statements made by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, describing them as harmful to relations between Baghdad and Ankara and as interference in Iraq’s internal affairs.

The reaction followed a televised interview Fidan gave to CNN, in which he affirmed Turkey’s determination to end the presence of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) inside Iraqi territory, hinting at the possibility of imminent military operations in the areas of Sinjar and Makhmour.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, the ministry said it had summoned the Turkish Ambassador to Iraq, Anıl Bora İnan, to convey its displeasure over the remarks circulated in the media.

It stressed that the statements “constitute an offense to the friendly relations between Iraq and Turkey, represent interference in Iraq’s internal affairs, and violate diplomatic norms.”

During the meeting, Iraq’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Bilateral Relations, Mohammed Hussein Bahr al-Uloom, emphasized that “Iraq is a state of institutions with a democratic constitutional political system and cannot be compared to other countries with different political systems.”

He further stressed that “the issue of Sinjar and other Iraqi territories is a purely national matter, handled according to national priorities and mechanisms,” rejecting any external interference in the country’s affairs.

For his part, the Turkish ambassador stated that the foreign minister’s remarks had been “misunderstood due to inaccurate translation,” clarifying that Fidan’s comments referred to PKK elements present in Iraq and did not target Iraq’s internal affairs or its citizens.