Baghdad to prevent foreign fighter attacks on Turkey – Iraqi PM Abadi

Iraq’s armed forces have instructions to prevent “foreign fighters” from launching cross-border attacks on Turkey, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi told his Turkish counterpart, Binali Yildirim. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday that Ankara’s intelligence chief would meet an Iraqi official to discuss an Iraqi military operation in Sinjar, a region of Iraq bordering Turkey, where Ankara says Kurdish militants have established a base. Erdogan also said Turkey would do “what is necessary” if the Iraqi operation in Sinjar failed, Reuters reports. The Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) has waged an insurgency against the Turkish state for decades. Erdogan said last week they were creating a new base in Sinjar, and that Turkish forces would attack it if necessary.