The Turkish vice consul to Iraq's autonomous Kurdish region was among at least two people shot dead Wednesday in the regional capital Arbil, prompting pledges of "retaliation" from Ankara. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, but Turkey is already waging a fierce offensive against Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) bases in northern Iraq.
On Wednesday afternoon, at least one gunman fired on Turkish consulate workers in a restaurant in Ainkawa, a northern Arbil neighbourhood that hosts numerous restaurants and the Turkish consulate. "A shooting in front of a restaurant in Arbil left a Turkish consulate employee and a civilian dead, and wounded a third person," said the Kurdish internal security forces, known as the Asayish.
The diplomat was identified by a local police source to AFP as the Turkish vice consul. The source said the attacker fled the scene. A spokesman for the Iraqi foreign ministry confirmed the incident and condemned the attack. Turkey's foreign ministry said an "employee" at its Arbil consulate was killed in a shooting outside the consulate.
"We are continuing our efforts with the Iraqi government and local authorities to find the perpetrators of this attack as quickly as possible," said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. His spokesman Ibrahim Kalin vowed "the necessary response will be given to those who committed this treacherous attack." The Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), which now leads the regional government, enjoys good political and trade relations with Turkey.
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