Iraq shoots down Turkish drone over Kirkuk

The Iraqi military shot down a Turkish armed drone near Kirkuk on Thursday, Iraqi officials said. 

Iraqi military’s Kirkuk operations commander, Major General Saleh Haraz, said in a press conference that the Iraqi army had successfully hit an unidentified object. Iraqi officials later revealed that the object was indeed a Turkish drone. 

A security source speaking to Iraqi media said that the drone was targeted because it was flying at a medium altitude over five main cities in the province before approaching sensitive sites, some of which are security bases. 

“The initial observation suggested that the drone, beyond being used for monitoring and reconnaissance, could be used as a bomber because of its ability to carry four missiles,” the source told Baghdad Today.

“The orders were issued directly from Baghdad to shoot it down, and this was done in less than 10 minutes through ground defences.”  

The downing of the drone did not result in any injuries, except for some material damage," the security source said, noting that "the downing of drones in those areas cannot be done without a green light from Baghdad."

The footage leaked on social media suggests Pantsir air defences fired a few missiles to hit the drone. 

Turkey has frequently targeted Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) elements in northern Iraq over the past few years through its advanced drone technology. It has been recently pursuing a “decapitation” campaign in areas near Sulaymaniyah, frequently targeting individuals allegedly tied to the group. 

'The orders were issued directly from Baghdad to shoot it down, and this was done in less than 10 minutes through ground defences' 

- Iraqi security source

However the Iraqi decision to shoot down a Turkish drone raised eyebrows since it came after the two countries signed a major security deal earlier this month to fight terrorism. 

The move is also particularly attention-grabbing because Ankara pays special interest to the city which hosts a sizable Turkish minority. 

Turkish diplomatic sources criticised the Iraqi government earlier this month over the election of a Kirkuk governor associated with Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) which Ankara says is working closely with the PKK.

Turkish sources have pointed out that new governor Rebwar Taha was elected in a hotel room in Baghdad without the participation of other representatives from the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) and the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) as well as some other Arab members. 

Mehmet Alaca, a prominent Iraq expert based in Turkey, said that the sighting of a Turkish drone in Kirkuk could be a warning to the PUK that Ankara doesn’t approve of the new governing structure in the city. 

“However, considering the recent rapprochement between Ankara and Baghdad in the fight against the PKK, the downing of the UAV indicates a new situation,”Alaca told Middle East Eye.  

🚨🇮🇶🇹🇷 Irak'ın Kerkük şehri üzerinde uçan Türkiye’ye ait AKSUNGUR SİHA düşürüldü.

💢 AKSUNGUR'un Irak Ordusu tarafından düşürüldüğü iddia edildi. pic.twitter.com/KtD1xl8I93

— gdh defence (@gdhdefence) August 29, 2024

Alaca added that the influence of pro-Iran militia groups, the Hashd al-Shaabi, in Kirkuk is particularly well-known and from time to time they would express unhappiness about the presence of the Turkish military in the country. 

“This situation has the potential to directly reflect on the dynamic relations between the two capitals, especially if Hashd al-Shaabi is involved in the decision making ” he said. 

The security deal signed by the two countries, which was described as ground-breaking by the parties, suggested that a joint security coordination centre would be established in Baghdad in coming months.

It also ensured that a Turkish base in Bashiqa will be transferred to the Iraqi Armed Forces, and a Turkey-Iraq joint training and cooperation centre will operate there.

Iraq earlier this year also declared PKK as a banned organisation. 

Yet Turkey’s aerial and land operations in northern Iraq continue to receive condemnation by the Iraqi authorities as a violation of Iraqi sovereignty.