����BAGHDAD, June 27 (Xinhuanet) -- Iraq on Thursday blasted a
decisionmade by the Turkish parliament earlier this month to extend the
mandate for U.S.-Britain warplanes to continue to use its base to enforce
the no-fly zone in northern Iraq.
����"Iraq denounces the Turkish decision, through which the United
States and Britain have kept on their aggressions against Iraq," anIraqi
Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a statement carried by theofficial
Iraqi News Agency (INA).
����The spokesman said that the decision by the Turkish parliament
"contradicts its deeds to enhance the good terms between the two
neighboring countries."
����"Iraq holds Turkey wholly responsible for aggressions that may
inflict more harm on the Iraqi people," the spokesman added.
����Iraq has repeatedly condemned Turkey's extension of the mandate of
the U.S.-British planes in its territory as a violation of the United
Nations Charter, the international law and norms of good neighborhood.
����The Turkish parliament on June 18 extended the mandate of joint
U.S.-British forces in the Muslim country for another six months, starting
from June 30.
����Turkey has been hosting U.S.-British planes to monitor Iraq's
northern no-fly zone, set up by the U.S.-led Western coalition in the wake
of the 1991 Gulf War with the claimed aim of protecting the Kurds in
northern Iraq from the persecution of the Iraqi government.
����A similar air exclusion zone was also set up in southern Iraq
toprotect the Shiite Muslims there.
����Iraq does not recognize the two no-fly zones for lack of clear
authorization by the U.N. Security Council and has regularly fired at
Western planes patrolling the two air exclusion zones. Enditem
����
