Spokesman: Turkish operations in Iraq do not interfere with coalition’s

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Operations by Turkey against Kurdish groups in northern Iraq do not interfere with those conducted by the U.S.-led international coalition against Islamic State militants, a spokesperson of the coalition said Tuesday.

“Operations by Turkey in Iraq are done through close cooperation with the government of Iraq,” wrote Colonel Sean Ryan, spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), via twitter.

“Turkey is a close ally & member of CJTFOIR, and Coalition does not foresee conflict with our mission to defeat Daesh (Islamic State),” Ryan tweeted.

Turkey has regularly pounded locations in northern Iraq where members of Kurdish Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) are active.

Turkey, which designates PKK as a terrorist group, has fought the group for decades. It has also carried out operations against the group and its purported affiliates in neighboring Syria.

Ankara has occasionally chided Washington for its military support of Syrian Kurdish groups.