Iraq calls for withdrawl of Turkish troops

Iraqi President Fuad Massum also described the Turkish deployment as “a violation of global norms and law”.

“The Iraqi authorities call on Turkey to… immediately withdraw from Iraqi territory”, a statement from Abadi’s office said. “They say they’re training, seems like they are”, one official told VOA on condition of anonymity. Russia announced Friday that it will suspend visa-free travel with Turkey amid the escalating spat over the downing of a Russian warplane by a Turkish fighter jet at the Syrian border.

‘We have confirmation that Turkish forces, numbering about one armoured regiment with a number of tanks and artillery, entered Iraqi territory.

In May, Islamic State’s recapture of the western city of Ramadi was widely seen as a test of the Iraqi army’s preparedness for a planned future offensive to route the group from Mosul and cast serious doubts on the imminence of such a battle.

Abadi appears to be under pressure from powerful Shi’ite Muslim groups that fought USA troops during the decade-long US war in Iraq and now oppose any further deployment of US or foreign troops in the country.

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 coordinated with the federal government.

Haider al-Abadi said that the Iraqi government did not authorize the Turkish troops, but Turkey says that the forces were requested by Mosul’s governor as part of ongoing training missions in coordination with Iraq’s defense ministry.

“Turkey is establishing a base in the Bashiqa region of Mosul with 600 soldiers”, Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported on its front page.

Turkish soldiers were sent to the Mosul region 2½ years ago to train Iraqi Peshmerga forces – Kurdish fighters in the region.

He also noted that the troops had already been in the Iraqi Kurdistan and had moved to Mosul accompanied by armored vehicles, in a move known by the countries who are members of the so-called US-led coalition purportedly fighting Daesh.

“This camp was established as a training camp for a force of local volunteers fighting terrorism”, he said in a speech to a labour union that was broadcast live by NTV news channel.

Turkey’s move lends more credence to the notion that its main Iraqi partner in the fight against ISIS isn’t the Iraqi government, but the semi-autonomous Kurdish regions in the country’s north, which have a history of supplying Turkey with much-needed energy.