Baghdad calls on Turkey to withdraw troops from Iraq

The Iraq government has called on Turkey to “immediately” withdraw troops and artillery it has deployed on Iraqi sovereign territory without Baghdad’s consent.

A statement from the Iraqi prime minister’s media office confirmed that Turkish troops had entered its territory near Mosul without permission and called on the forces to leave immediately.

“A regiment armoured with tanks and artillery entered the Iraqi territory, and specifically the province of Nineveh, and claim that they are training Iraqi groups,” according to a statement on Mr Haider al- Abadi’s official website.

This is “without the request or authorisation from the Iraqi federal authorities,” it said.

Video released on the website of Turkey‘s pro-government Yeni Safak newspaper showed flatbed trucks carrying armoured vehicles along a road at night, describing them as a convoy accompanying the Turkish troops to Bashiqa.

In a separate statement flashed on state TV, the Iraqi foreign ministry called the Turkish activity “an incursion” and rejected any military operation that was not co-ordinated with the federal government.

In Washington, two US defence officials said the United States was aware of Turkey’s deployment but that the move is not part of the US-led coalition’s activities.

A senior Kurdish military officer based on the Bashiqa front line, north of Mosul, said additional Turkish trainers had arrived at a camp in the area overnight on Thursday escorted by a Turkish protection force.

He said he was not aware of the size of the force and refused to speculate.

The camp is used by a force called Hashid Watani (national mobilisation), which is made up of mainly Sunni Arab former Iraqi police and volunteers from Mosul.

It was formed by former governor Atheel al-Nujaifi, who is close to Turkey. There was already a small number of Turkish trainers there before this latest deployment

“Our soldiers are already in Iraq. A battalion of soldiers has gone there. Training was already being given in that region for the last two to three years. This is a part of that training,“ one senior Turkish official said.

Agencies