Turkey has deployed hundreds of soldiers and a number of tanks to northern Iraq without Baghdad's permission. (Reuters, file photo)
AFP: Turkey won't pull back troops deployed to Mosul: official
Turkey will not withdraw troops it has deployed near an area controlled by the Islamic State group, a senior Turkish official said, after Iraq ordered the immediate withdrawal of its latest contingent.
Turkey deployed up to 300 soldiers to the Bashiqa area near the city of Mosul, the jihadist group's main hub in Iraq, describing it as a routine rotation in its programme of training Iraqis to retake the city from IS.
But Baghdad on Sunday gave Turkey 48 hours to withdraw its forces, saying they had entered the country illegally and threatening to appeal to the UN Security Council.
"We expect them to remain," the official told a group of foreign media representatives in Istanbul.
Previous Post: Iraq Issues Ultimatum To Turkey To Withdraw Its Military Forces That Are Deployed Near Mosul
WNU Editor: This is heading for a showdown .... the question is .... what will Iraq now do? .... and what can they do?
Turkey Announces That It Will Not Withdraw Its Military Forces In Iraq
Turkey to keep troops at base in northern Iraq despite Baghdad's orders to pull out within 48 hours -- Sydney Morning Herald
Turkey refuses to withdraw troops sent to north Iraq base -- The Guardian/Reuters
Turkey defends ground troops in Iraq as war escalates -- Reuters
Iraq warns Turkey to pull forces, Ankara says unlikely -- Xinhuanet
Turkey seeks to soothe Iraq’s concerns after ultimatum over troops -- Today's Zaman
3 comments:
Sounds like a good time for Greece to get involved.
WNU Editor;
b. discusses this at MoA,
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2015/12/is-erdogans-mosul-escapade-blackmail-for-a-new-qatar-turkey-pipeline-project-.html#more
In the short term, Iraq will raise the issue at the UNSC,
In the longer term, there is little that Iraq can do, other than "retaliate" against the Kurds, and move more into the Russian/Iranian spheres.
The Turkish move is creating another "wedge" issue driving apart the anti-ISIS "coelitions".
Thank you jay for the link.
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