Iraqi protesters denounce Turkish intervention

Iraqi security forces on Thursday closed roads near the Turkish embassy in Baghdad after demonstrators gathered to denounce Turkish interventions in the north of the country, Al-Arabiya TV reported.

Turkey re-launched military operations against what it said were elements of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party on the Iraqi-Turkish border after 13 Turkish hostages were killed, the report said.

Turkey said the hostages, who were held captive for years, were killed by the PKK. But the People’s Defense Center, which is the party’s military wing, said that Turkish forces shelled the cave, leading to the hostages’ death.

Turkey lost three of its troops during the cross-border operation while 48 PKK fighters were killed.

On Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pledged to expand cross-border operations against Kurdish militants.

In a speech delivered to supporters of his ruling party, the Turkish leader said that those operations strengthened Turkey’s desire to form a safe zone along its border with northern Iraq.