Jaafari’s comments came during a meeting with Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmed Yildiz. “Iraq rejects any military action on its soil by any neighboring country.”

“While we are keen to maintain the depth of Iraqi-Turkish relations, we categorically reject any breach of the Iraqi borders by Turkish forces,” he added.

Turkish Foreign Minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Thursday, March 8, that Ankara and Baghdad will carry out a joint operation against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in Kurdistan Region.

Speaking to reporters on his flight from Germany to Austria, Cavusoglu said the anti-PKK operation may start after Iraq’s parliamentary elections scheduled for May 2018.

Turkey launched operation "Olive Branch" on January 20 against the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Afrin, supporting Syrian opposition fighters with ground troops and air strikes.

Turkey resumed the shelling of suspected PKK positions inside the Kurdistan Region in July 2015 after a two-year ceasefire between the Turkish military and the PKK came to an end.

Those airstrikes destroyed villages and agricultural areas across the region’s northern border with Turkey.

The conflict between Turkey and the PKK has continued for over 25 years and has claimed more than 40,000 lives.

Reporter’s code: 50101