The statement said on Saturday, January 26, that it is the duty of Iraq to protect the borders of the Kurdistan Region and ensure that its sovereignty is protected.

The statement came after angry protesters stormed a Turkish military base in Kurdistan Region on Saturday, burning Turkish military vehicles and leading to a confrontation that left one teenager killed and 10 injured.

The protesters were demonstrating against a recent Turkish air raid that killed six civilians, Kurdistan Region officials said.

A video obtained by The Associated Press showed a crowd of protesters who appeared to be mostly in their 20s inside the base in the town of Shaladze. Some tried to smash the door of what appeared to be a warehouse at the base with a rock while another tried to destroy a Turkish tank with a hammer. Fire and smoke could be seen rising from military vehicles.

“Bombardment, fighting, and killing do not solve the Kurdish question in Turkey. It only increases the number of the victims,” the Gorran statement read.

“The only solution to the Kurdish question in the country is peaceful dialogue.”

Reporter’s code: 50101