ANKARA, Oct. 20 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye rejected Thursday the claim by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) that the Turkish armed forces used chemical weapons in its recent operations in northern Iraq.
The Turkish Defense Ministry said in a statement that the allegations that chemical weapons are used by the Turkish armed forces are periodically brought to the agenda by circles who want to tarnish Türkiye's fight against terrorism,
These allegations aim to "cast a shadow on the success of the Turkish Armed Forces, and are completely baseless and unrealistic," the statement said.
The Turkish armed forces do not use ammunition prohibited by international law and agreements, the ministry said, adding that the army does not have this type of ammunition in its inventory.
Pro-Kurdish People's Democratic Party (HDP) Group Deputy Chair Meral Danis Bestas urged the parliament to take responsibility for investigating the allegations.
She said that images, allegations and videos about the use of chemicals in cross-border operations were made public.
"The Foreign Affairs Commission should conduct an investigation," she said at a parliament session on Wednesday.
The Turkish forces frequently carry out ground operations, airstrikes, and artillery bombardments against the group's positions in northern Iraq, especially the Qandil Mountains, the main base of the PKK.
In April, the Turkish army launched a new ground and air cross-border operation, dubbed Claw-Lock, against the PKK targets in the Metina, Zap and Avasin-Basyan regions of northern Iraq.
The PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Türkiye, the United States and the European Union, has rebelled against the Turkish government for more than three decades.
