People taking the wounded to a hospital after an artillery attack in Dohuk, Iraq. July 20, 2022
Turkey refuted claims Wednesday by Iraqi state media that it had attacked a mountain resort in northern Dohuk province, killing eight and wounding another 23 people, calling it a terror act.
The "fierce artillery bombing" hit a resort in Zakho, a city on the border between Iraq's Kurdistan region and Turkey, Iraq state TV said.
Children were amongst the victims, including a 1-year-old, the Kurdish health minister said in a statement.
The attack came one day after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a summit meeting in Tehran with Russian and Iranian counterparts. Iran urged Turkey not to undertake a planned offensive against Kurdish areas in Syria.
Turkey's foreign ministry said Ankara was saddened to hear of the casualties in the attack and added that Turkey takes maximum care to avoid civilian casualties in its counter-terrorism operations against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militia and others.
"Turkey is ready to take every step for the truth to come out," the ministry said in a statement, adding that Turkish military operations were in line with international laws.
"We call on the Iraqi government to not make remarks influenced by the heinous terrorist organization's rhetoric and propaganda, and to engage in cooperation to uncover the perpetrators of this cruel act," it said, referring to the PKK.
Turkey regularly carries out air strikes in northern Iraq and has sent commandos to support its offensives as part of a long-running campaign in Iraq and Syria against militants of the Kurdish PKK and the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia. Ankara regards both as terrorist groups.