But Alhakim reiterated that Iraq wanted the Turkish troops withdrawn from its territory immediately, saying the deployment was “illegal”, and a violation of the United Nations charter. The decision to visit Iraq was adopted by Turkey after the controversy arisen between Ankara and Baghdad about the presence of Turkish troops in the Iraqi province of Nineveh, near the city of Mosul.
Advertisement
“Objections were expressed to him over such actions, with the ambassador also handed a demand of the immediate withdrawal of Turkish troops from the territory of Iraq”, Mihebis said.
Masoud Barzani, the leader of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), was in Ankara yesterday to discuss deepening Turkish support for Kurdish fighters in Iraq.
Turkish jets hit targets in the Qandil, Hakurk, Zap and Avasin Baysan areas of northern Iraq, targeting storage units and shelters for the militants, the Turkish army said on Wednesday.
“Training at this camp began with the knowledge of the Iraqi defence ministry and police”, Davutoglu told a meeting of deputies from his ruling AK party.
“This issue needs to be solved and we ask Russian Federation not to make problems for Kurdistan Region’s airline”, Barzani said Tuesday, downplaying weapons aid the Peshmerga has received from Russian Federation as “minimal”.
Baghdad gave Turkey an ultimatum on Sunday to withdraw its troops within 48 hours, otherwise it might take the case to the UN Security Council.
“Our understanding of the original Turkish deployment is that, that was something that was negotiated with the government of Iraq”.
On 25 October, Iraqi military forces with the support of Shiite militia and backed by airstrikes carried out by the anti-Daesh coalition led by the U.S., have retaken the oil refinery at Baiji in Northern Iraq which was under the Daesh control. Baghdad says it never invited such a force.
“We believe Turkey has acted recklessly and inexplicably in carrying our additional deployments in Iraq without the consent of the Iraqi government”.
Speaking to his counterpart earlier this week, the Turkish foreign minister emphasized Ankara’s respect for Iraqi territorial integrity and said further troop deployments had been halted for now.
Advertisement
“They want a weak prime minister who’s not able to challenge the parties and unable to challenge the corrupt”, said Sajad Jiyad, a fellow at the Iraqi Institute for Economic Reform.
