Turkey contends that the deployment is part of an agreement between the two countries that allows for Turkish soldiers to assist in training Iraqi and Peshmerga fighters as they battle ISIS.
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“The Iraqi minister informed him of the developments around the unlawful introduction of Turkish troops in northern Iraq and Bagdad’s complaint to the UN Security Council over his issue”.
Thousands of Iraqis, many of them members of Shiite militias, gathered in Tahrir Square in the capital, Baghdad, on Saturday to call on Ankara to withdraw its troops and tanks from the country.
A similar demonstration was held in the city of al-Diwaniyah, where hundreds of people censured Turkey’s military intervention in Iraq, urging the Iraqi government to expel the Turkish Ambassador to Baghdad Faruk Kaymakci and sever all ties with Ankara.
It reiterates al-Abadi’s claims that the deployment was made without the knowledge and approval of the Iraqi authorities, while also calling on the U.N. Security Council to “assume its responsibilities”.
Despite the insistence from Baghdad for the Turkish troops stationed in their nation to leave, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan defended their presence.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said on December 12 that Lavrov and Jaafari had spoken by phone to discuss the “unlawful incursion”.
Iraq submitted an official complaint with the Security Council on Friday, demanding an immediate and unconditional removal of the Turkish forces.
According to Iraq’s letter, Turkey deployed the troops “without any consultation or coordination with the federal government of Iraq”.
Meanwhile, a senior Iraqi politician said that Turkey is plotting to create a Sunni-dominated region in Iraq and Syria by deploying forces to Mosul.
“If the Iraqi government can not take measures to thwart terrorist attacks that maybe carried out from there against our country, we will take these measures ourselves”.
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“But we are not here to doubt the ability of our commander-in-chief, and as a brigade we are ready”, said Rubaie, who wore a military uniform and had a large Iraqi flag on a pole resting on his shoulder.
