Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar on Thursday rejected all the allegations regarding the Turkish Armed Force’s use of chemical weapons in northern Iraq against Kurdish militants.
According to foreign media reports, Akar stated, “Allegations that the Turkish Armed Forces used chemical weapons are completely baseless and untrue.”
Earlier this week, Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militant group shared a video of Turkey forces using chemical weapons in northern Iraq.
Presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin also rejected allegations on Twitter and stated that using chemical weapons is a futile attempt to end terrorism and that our fight against terrorism will continue with resolve and determination.
Omer Celik, another spokesman for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s ruling AK Party, stated that those who made chemical weapons claims are part of a “vile slanderers network”.
Other than that, a federation of international medical groups released a report earlier this month calling for an independent inquiry into potential violations of the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention (which seeks to eradicate an entire class of weapons of mass destruction by prohibiting States Parties from developing, producing, acquiring, stockpiling, retaining, transferring, or using chemical weapons).
Moreover, the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War stated, “This is an outright violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and should be pursued legally by the international community.”
More than 40,000 people have been killed as a result of the PKK’s rebel movement against the Turkish state, which began in 1984.
