Turkey announces continued withdrawal of troops from Iraq

Daily News Egypt
1 Min Read
Iraqi soldiers gather as their unit is shipped north from the central Shiite Muslim shrine city of Najaf to Mosul following the increased violence on 8 June 2014. (AFP PHOTO/HAIDAR HAMDANI)

Turkey will continue the withdrawal of its military forces from Iraq, according to an announcement from the Turkish foreign ministry.

The announcement comes days after US President Barack Obama urged Ankara to take this measure in order to ease tensions between the neighbouring countries.

“Taking into account the sensitivities on the Iraqi side…Turkey will continue the process it has already begun to withdraw its troops stationed in Mosul province,” the Turkish foreign ministry said in a prepared statement on Saturday

Earlier in the week, Baghdad described the Turkish deployment of between 150 and 300 soldiers and 20 tanks to the Bashiqa camp near Mosul as an illegal incursion.

A Turkish senior official contended that the troops had been deployed to protect Turkish trainers working with Iraqi forces in the battle with “Islamic State” (IS).

In their statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said there had been “a lack of communication” with Iraq regarding the deployment of their troops.

Iraq submitted a formal complaint to the UN to call for the removal of Turkish forces.

TAGGED:
Share This Article