Shiite militias demand Turkish troops withdraw from Iraq

Iraq doesnt seem to remember much about the alleged partnership.

Erdogan told Turkish TV on Saturday that it was Iraq’s “natural right” to file the complaint and ask the withdrawal of the Turkish troops, but added that Baghdad is being insincere by making this demand.

The rallies were organized and led by Shi’ite militia groups, which have threatened to use force against Turkey unless it withdraws.

Elsewhere in the city of Nasiriyah, about 320 kilometers (200 miles) southeast of Baghdad, demonstrators gathered near Habboubi Square, calling on Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and Defense Minister Khaled al-Obaidi to take “a firm stance” against Turkey’s act of “aggression”. To be sure, 350 is a long way from 90,000, but the point is, Turkey is suddenly determined to have boots (and tank tracks) on the ground near Mosul and its not entirely clear why.

Baghdad denies inviting such a force.

Iraqi government also appealed to the UN Security Council about Turkish forces’ presence seeking assistance in resolving the crisis. New deployments later prevented.

“I believe that the Security Council at the United Nations knows that this step is not honest and will issue its decision accordingly”, he said.

Iraq has turned to the United Nations Security Council to complain about the deployment of Turkish troops to the country’s north, the U.S. envoy said on Friday.

“Iraq worked on containment of this issue by diplomatic means and bilateral talks, but these efforts did not succeed in convincing Turkey to withdraw its occupying forces from Iraqi territory”, al-Hakim wrote to Power.

Harith al-Qarawee, an Iraq researcher at Brandeis University, said the demonstration Saturday was about Baghdad politics as it absolutely was about tensions with Turkey.

Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu spoke on the phone with US Vice-President Joe Biden on Thursday upon Washington’s request, sources from his office said.

A senior Iranian cleric has warned that Turkey’s illegal deployment of troops to northern Iraq would be detrimental to Ankara and the entire region.

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.