Speaking on Tuesday at the Kurdistan Parliament, the elected chamber of the Kurdistan Regional Government, the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan’s (PUK) MP Zikrî Zebarî reacted strongly to Turkey’s ongoing, ground-and-air campaign in the Zap, Metina and Avashin regions of Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

“For a prolonged period of time, Turkish soldiers have been bombing the land of Kurdistan on a daily basis. For around 50 days and ongoing, they have been attacking the Kurdistan region. The villages are being evacuated, civilians are being martryed,” he said.

The PUK MP also brought attention to the Kurdistan Regional Government’s “silence” in the face of Turkey’s operations.

“The government of Bashure [South] Kurdistan remains silent. The government should be opposed to these attacks. This silence cannot continue like this,” he said.

Following these words of Zebari, the parliamentary speaker cut his speech, saying, “Mister Zebari, talk about the salaries”.

Upon this intervention, Zebarî shared his view that it is not the salaries, but Turkey’s cross-border operation that is the biggest problem of Iraqi Kurdistan. “The honour of the Kurds is so much more superior to the salaries. Today, the people of Federal Kurdistan have a much bigger problem than their salaries,” he said.

“Turkey has built 70 bases in the region. Turkey should immediately withdraw from the Kurdistan region. Kurdistan was liberated with the blood of thousands of martyrs. That is why Turkey should immediately leave.”

43 Iraqi MPs also presented a joint motion to invite Iraq’s Prime Minister Mustafa al Kazimi to the Kurdistan parliament.

The MPs demanded that Kazimi shares information on the violation of Iraq’s sovereignty with Turkey’s ongoing campaign.