“It was said it was in coordination with the government of Iraq, but I doubt it,” Sadr told reporters after being asked about Turkish army deployment to areas in the Kurdistan Region.

Director of Sidakan sub-district, Ihsan Chalabi told NRT on Friday that units of the Turkish military had entered 19 kilometers into the Kurdistan Region.

The Turkish military has also set-up three main headquarters and up to 14 small military bases inside the region, according to the Sidakan sub-district director.

Recently, the Turkish army has been shelling the Kurdistan Region’s border areas because of the suspected presence Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) positions.

Turkish warplanes and military artillery carried out intense bombardments on Lilkan, Khalifan, Buzina, Siran, Gurashan and Alakan villages as well as Kawit and Diri Mountains in the Sidakan sub-district northeast of Erbil last week.

Reporter’s code: 50101