Some 2,000 Turkish soldiers have remained in Iraq: Kurdish official 3/14/2016
Some 2,000 Turkish soldiers have remained in Iraq: Kurdish official
3/14/2016 0 Comments
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A representative of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government in Moscow said Monday that some 1,500 to 2,000 Turkish troops have remained in northern Iraq despite Baghdad opposition.
In December, Turkey deployed its troops to a base in the Iraqi Nineveh province, without Baghdad’s approval. Turkey said its military had entered Iraq to protect Turkish instructors deployed at the base earlier to train local militias, fighting against Islamic State (IS).
"About 1,500 to 2,000 Turkish soldiers [are there]…. Iraq issued a serious warning to make them leave the country, but the Turks did not listen. Unfortunately, the West and the United State, the United Nations too, are silent about it," Aso Talabani told RIA Novosti.
According to Talabani, "the Turks did not come to help us."
"They have arrived there, first, to fight against the Kurds. Secondly, they have a plan to stay in Iraq after the liberation of Mosul and the Islamic State's destruction," he pointed out.
In late February, Iraqi Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Jamal told Sputnik that the Turkish forces' presence on Iraqi territory without Baghdad's approval was "insolence" unacceptable for Iraq and an attempt to distract Iraqi authorities from the fight against the IS.
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