An unspecified number of tanks also left.
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The deployment of Turkish troops dates back to 2002 and additional troops were deployed in 2014 in response to a request from Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi, Erdogan told a press conference.
Baghdad has insisted that the Turkish troops had no authorization from the Iraqi government and thus demanded their withdrawal, while Ankara called the troops only a routine rotation of the trainers.
Turkish leaders have reassured Iraq that their troops are not there in a combat role and rather train Iraqi and Peshmerga forces.
The troops were carried in a convoy of 10-12 military vehicles, Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency said, quoting military sources.
Turkish troops deployed in Iraq began to leave a camp near Iraq’s city of Mosul on Monday, the media reported.
“The entry of Turkish military assets into Iraqi territory without the prior understanding or consent of the Iraqi government canno be accepted or tolerated” the statement read.
The Turkish government enjoys close relations with semi-autonomous Kurdistan Region in Iraq.
Iraq’s Oil Minister Adel Abdel Mahdi said Sunday that treating Turkey like an enemy, due to its military presence in northern Iraq, will not benefit his country.
Davutoglu defended it as an “act of solidarity” and said: “When the threats (to the trainers) increased, we sent troops to protect the camp”.
In Baghdad, Reuters reporters saw angry protesters trample on the Turkish flag and hit a caricature of Erdogan with slippers in a mark of disrespect. He also asked the Foreign Ministry to complain to the United Nations about the presence of Turkish troops.
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He subsequently said that an agreement had been reached on a “reorganisation” of the Turkish troops, but it was never made clear what form this would take.
