IRAQI troops began preparing to mobilise to the border with Turkey today after army officials revealed the extent of the occupation of whole swathes of its territory. 

Tensions remain high after Turkish artillery fire killed nine tourists, including a one-year-old baby, at a holiday resort in Iraqi Kurdistan’s Duhok province last week.

In what is the most serious escalation in decades, Iraqi soldiers have made their way to the border with Kurdish peshmerga forces to repel future attacks while demanding all Turkish troops leave.

Turkey initially denied involvement, seeking to blame the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) for the deadly attack, but the Iraqi armed forces have said that Ankara was to blame. 

Chief of staff of the Iraqi armed forces Abdul-Amir al-Shammari said on Sunday: “Analysis of the projectiles proved beyond any doubt that the Turkish army was the one who bombed the … resort.”

He said that he had been pressed not to reveal the extent of Turkey’s military occupation, which has previously been documented by the Morning Star. 

But in a press conference he said he would be “completely honest” with the people as he gave details of five main Turkish bases in northern Iraq. 

“More than 4,000 Turkish fighters are in these bases,” he said, adding: “There is an increase in the Turkish incursion and occupation of these areas.”

Mr Shammari explained that Turkey now has at least 100 posts that are short distances from Zakho, Amadiyeh and Dohok, cities in Iraqi Kurdistan, up from 40 last year.  

He said the Iraqi armed forces and the peshmerga planned to force the Turkish army to leave these points “to deny the Turks the opportunity to advance or deploy their artillery and inflict losses among the citizens.”

Such a mobilisation can only be carried out with the agreement of the Kurdistan Regional Government which has jurisdiction over the territory, he explained. 

Combat forces are deployed in situations of war, indicating the seriousness of the situation following last week’s attack. 

The Iraq government has confirmed that there was no PKK presence in the village at the time of the missile strike, supporting local and eyewitness accounts and contradicting Ankara’s claims. 

It has also denied an agreement which allows Turkish forces to encroach into Iraqi sovereign territory to conduct military operations, saying that its current mission was not approved by Baghdad. 

Turkey has been bombing Kurdish villages daily since April 2021 and is accused of a litany of war crimes, including the bombing of a refugee camp and hospital as well as extra-judicial executions of local political leaders. 

The Morning Star remains the only Western media organisation to have reported from the ground in the conflict zone and has spoken to scores of victims of alleged chemical attacks along with security officials and politicians. 

Scottish National Party MP Chris Stephens has tabled an early day motion on Turkish war crimes in Iraqi Kurdistan based on the “on the ground” report: Collusion, Conspiracy and Corruption.