Turkey says Iraq undermining anti-Daesh fight

Turkey deployed hundreds of troops in the Bashiqa area this month, with the stated aim of protecting its military personnel who were training Iraqi militias to fight against the Islamic State.

Turkey began withdrawing troops stationed near the IS-controlled Iraqi city of Mosul earlier this week.

Turkey has acknowledged a “miscommunication” with Iraq over its deployment of troops to the Bashiqa military base in northern Iraq, Turkey’s foreign ministry said on Saturday.

On Tuesday, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said that the presence of Turkish forces in Bashiqa does not pose a threat to the territorial integrity of Iraq but represents a strong entity against terrorism.

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region- Baghdad has welcomed Turkey’s decision to start removing its troops from Iraq’s Nineveh province, saying that it will continue the efforts for the complete withdrawal of all troops from the country.

Halit Cevik’s remarks came during a council meeting requested by Iraq on the recent deployment of Turkish troops, which has caused a diplomatic spat between the neighbors.

The Turkish government didn’t say where the troops would move to.

“We don’t have designs for anyone’s territory, country or sovereignty rights”.

It comes a day after US President Barack Obama urged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to “de-escalate tensions” with Baghdad.

Tensions have been running high between Baghdad and Ankara particularly since December 4, when Turkey deployed heavily armed soldiers supported by some two dozen tanks at the base.

In southern Turkey, the United States had been working jointly with Turkish authorities to train and equip moderate Syrian rebels as part of a campaign to liberate the last remaining stretch of the Turkish-Syrian border that is controlled by ISIL.