Iraqi Kurdistan: the entry of Turkish troops was coordinated with federal and local governments


December 8, 2015
Arbil - (KUNA) - President of Iraqi Kurdistan, Massoud Barzani, said Tuesday that the entry of Turkish troops to base in northern Iraq was coordinated with federal and local governments in order to train local forces. He said Barzani during remarks to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting with German Foreign Minister Frank-Frank-Walter Steinmeier, "according to our information, the entry of the Turkish force was coordinated with the federal government and the local government earlier in the aim of training local forces to support the liberalization of Nineveh process .. the region was not a party in the matter."

Barzani described the subject as a "huge" stressing the need to be addressed through dialogue and understanding, stressing that it be discussed with Turkish officials during a planned visit to Turkey in addition to that he also be discussed with Baghdad. Relations between Iraq and Turkey on the tension following the publication of the last forces on the outskirts of the city of Mosul while Baghdad has threatened to use "all available options" to force Ankara to withdraw its forces. The Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş confirmed on Monday evening his country's respect for the sovereignty and unity of the Iraqi territory in response to a recent request for the withdrawal of Turkish troops from northern Iraq. Cortholmos said at a news conference after the Turkish cabinet meeting that "the Turkish military presence in northern Iraq is not directed against the Iraqi central government." He added that "The purpose of the presence of Turkish troops is to enable the central government to establish effective cooperation to fight organized the so-called Islamic State (Daash)."

The Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had called a few days ago the Turkish government to withdraw its troops from the city (Mosul) in northern Iraq, saying the presence of a violation of Iraqi sovereignty.

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