Note to correspondents on Turkey

The Secretary-General expresses his concern over the attacks in the Hakkari province of Turkey, reportedly by Kurdish elements operating from Iraqi territory, which have left many Turkish soldiers dead.

It is clearly unacceptable that Iraq's territory is being used to mount cross-border attacks against neighbouring countries. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of both Turkey and Iraq should be respected. The Secretary-General urges Iraq and Turkey to engage in constructive dialogue in order to find a peaceful solution to this challenge.