Mohammad Karim al-Khafaji and Begard Talebani, the agriculture ministers of Iraq and the Iraqi Kurdistan's Regional Government (KRG) blamed Turkey's companies with the help of their military for recent logging in "Badinan" in the north of the Kurdish region.
The Baghdad-Erbil joint statement said that Turkish companies with the help of the Turkish military are involved in the timber business and transfer the timber and sell them in Turkey.
“This is not only a hostile act against Iraq and the Kurdistan Region’s nature and environment, but it is hostility against humanity and the world’s environment because nature has no limits,” read the joint statement, according to a translated copy of it as appeared on the Rudaw English language website.
The two ministers further called on Baghdad and Erbil to take appropriate action immediately to stop these hostile acts.
The Iraqi and Kurdish agriculture ministries also condemned Turkey, calling for international intervention.
Meanwhile, the KRG spokesman warned Turkey to stop “unacceptable” deforestation in the Kurdistan Region, a said on Monday.
The Kurdistan Regional Government expresses its concern and dissatisfaction at the Turkish government’s deforestation and harm caused to the Kurdistan Region’s environment, and it has officially warned Turkey to cease deforestation at the border areas, which is unacceptable,” Jotiar Adil said in an official statement.
"Turkey and the PKK must “respect Iraq and the Kurdistan Region’s sovereignty and not cause affliction, displacement and destruction," he added.
The KRG statement follows reports of large-scale deforestation by Turkey in Duhok province to build roads in places where they hold operations, villagers have told Rudaw on the condition of anonymity. Some say trees are being taken across the border to be sold.
KI/FNA14000311000146