After the deployment of hundreds of Turkish troops in Iraqi territory, Baghdad seeks for assistance to fulfill the removal of cited troops.
Kurdish peshmerga forces prepare for battle against the Isis. Turkish official have said Turkish soldiers have been sent to train Kurdish peshmerga fighters. Photograph: Uncredited/AP
Last week, hundreds of Turkish troops went inside Northern Iraq territory (near the Iraqi city of Mosul) alleging defense reasons of the trainers at a military base in the region.
Baghdad, considering the action a severe offense to their national sovereignty, gave the Turkish troops a 48-hour deadline for the complete withdrawal of the forces. However, the deadline came and went without any reaction from Ankara.
In response to Turkey’s attitude, it was informed that Iraq was trying to reach out the UN Security Council for issuing a resolution condemning this violation through its Foreign Affair Ministry.
Nevertheless, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed that Iraq is acting on its full and natural right, but still (Iraq’s appeal to UNSC) is not an honest step.
Warnings have been made to Turkey to withdraw the troops deployed in Iraqi territory not only by world’s leaders, but also by regional militant groups such as Furaq al-Mawt (Death Squads) who has threatened Ankara of committing violent acts against Turkish objectives if the removal of troops is not accomplished.
It’s believed that Turkey’s military base located in Northern Iraq can be used not only to fight against Daesh in the region, but also to crackdown the increasing influence of Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which is considered a terrorist group by Ankara.
Written by Lisbeth Mechter