Foreign Ministry issues statement regarding Turkish UAV downed in Kirkuk

Iraqi air defense systems downed an unmanned aerial vehicle near the city of Kirkuk, while two police sources stated that an investigation was underway to determine which country the UAV belonged to.

An Iraqi army colonel, who requested anonymity, said that initial findings from the wreckage indicated that the UAV was an armed unmanned aerial vehicle belonging to Turkey.

Police sources stated that the UAV, which crashed into the city center of Kirkuk, caused fires in some houses, that the fire was brought under control, and that it did not result in any loss of life or injuries.

The Iraqi Army's Kirkuk Operations Command also reported that "an unidentified UAV was downed due to conducting an unauthorized flight."

STATEMENT FROM THE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON

A statement was issued by Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Öncü Keçeli regarding the Turkish UAV downed in Iraq. The following statements were included in Keçeli's announcement:

A statement regarding the incident that took place in Kirkuk today was made by the Iraqi Joint Operations Command.

Coordination has been established with Iraqi authorities to clarify all details of the incident.

Turkey's determination in the fight against terrorism is absolute.

Turkey continues its fight against the terrorist organization nested on Iraqi territory in accordance with the principle of self-defense contained in Article 51 of the UN Charter.

There is a strong and common will between Turkey and Iraq that is increasingly strengthening in the field of counter-terrorism.

The recent declaration of the PKK as a “banned organization” in Iraq and the “Memorandum of Understanding on Military, Security Cooperation and Counter-Terrorism” signed in Ankara on August 15 are products of this approach.

Both countries are determined to ensure that the cooperation in question yields concrete results on the ground and to increase coordination between the competent authorities for this purpose.