Iraq Turns To UN Security Council Over Turkish Troops

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, and President of Iraq’a northern Kurdish region, Massoud Barzani, shake hands before a meeting in Ankara, Turkey, Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015. Iraq submitted an official complaint with the Security Council on Friday, demanding an immediate and unconditional removal of the Turkish forces.

Additionally, its worth noting that the deployment comes as controversial Iraqi lawmaker Hanan Al-Fatlawi accuses John McCain of planning to insert some 100,000 troops in the country to include 10,000 U.S. soldiers and 90,000 from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, and of course, Turkey.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al Abadi also demanded his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu the Turkish troops’ withdrawal from Iraq, but despite of repeated calls Ankara has disregarded the pulledout.

Erdogan however, defended his country’s troop movements, saying the 150-man Turkish force “are more of a training team rather than a combative force” and that they were there upon Baghdad’s insistence a year ago, as quoted by Anadolu news agency. Iraq, however, denies any such deal.

“This is a flagrant violation of the provisions and principles of the UN Charter and in violation of the sanctity of Iraqi territory”, a statement from his office said. Iraqs United Nations ambassador Mohamed Ali Alhakim subsequently told reporters that Baghdad and Ankara “are solving it bilaterally”.

The deployment of several hundred troops by Turkey in Bashiqa, close to an area held by IS in northern Iraq, has enraged Baghdad which has asked Ankara to withdraw all its forces.

He added: “Assistance with military training and advanced technology and weapons to fight the IS terrorist entity must be based upon bilateral and multilateral agreements and in full respect of the national sovereignty and Iraqi constitution, and in coordination with the Iraqi armed forces”.

Iraq on Friday circulated a letter among the members of the UN Security Council to express “growing alarm” that the problem was not being resolved. The demonstrators also reportedly burned the Turkish flag during the rally.

Iraq’s foreign ministry said Turkish forces had entered Iraqi territory without the knowledge of Baghdad, who view their presence as a “hostile act”, but the Turkish President said the troops were not there to fight.