Iraq's air defenses shot down a Turkish drone this morning over the northern city of Kirkuk, Iraqi military officials said, cited by the Associated Press and BTA.
The incident comes at a time when the two countries are trying to develop closer economic and security ties and raises concerns about the already volatile security situation in the region, the agency noted.
Brigadier General Abdul Salam, deputy commander of Iraq's air defenses, told reporters that the drone came from the direction of the city of Sulaymaniyah and entered Iraqi airspace. He added that it was a Turkish drone and was shot down by Iraqi air defenses in the Chiman district of Kirkuk.
Iraqi air defenses said in a statement that the drone had received a warning "according to protocol" and was then taken down. It fell on a house, causing "material damage only,", the statement said.
"Based on the inspection of the wreckage, it was established that the drone was of a Turkish type,", the air defense also states.
So far, there has been no comment from Turkish officials, AP notes.
Kirkuk is a strategically important city with an ethnically and religiously diverse population that has been the focus of political and ethnic problems and the site of military operations against remnants of the extremist group "Islamic State", the agency reminds.
Turkey frequently strikes targets in Syria and Iraq that it believes are linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has waged an armed struggle against Turkey since the 1980s and is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the US and EU. It has recently been banned in Iraq as well.
The PKK maintains bases in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq. In recent months, Turkey has increased its troop presence in northern Iraq and threatened an offensive to clear PKK forces from the border area.
Baghdad has complained that the strikes violate its sovereignty, but has taken a harder line against the PKK in recent months.
Last week, two female journalists from a local Kurdish publication were killed in a suspected Turkish airstrike that hit their car in the semi-autonomous Kurdish region of northern Iraq, sparking protests.