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Iraq summons Turkish ambassador over unauthorized troops near Mosul

Xinhua, December 6, 2015 Adjust font size:

Iraq summoned the Turkish ambassador on Saturday to demand immediate withdrawal of Turkish troops from the Islamic State-controlled city of Mosul.

"The deployment of Turkish troops on the Iraqi territory without the knowledge of the central government in Baghdad is a breach and violation of the sovereignty of the country and exceeding the principles of good neighborliness and mutual respect," the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said.

Iraq considers the presence of any troops on its territory without its authorization a "hostile act," the ministry said, while protesting to the Turkish ambassador and demanding immediate withdrawal of the Turkish troops from the IS-held city of Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad..

Earlier, Iraqi President Fuad Masoum said "a force from neighboring Turkey advanced deep inside the Iraqi territory in a violation for the norms and international law and to the Iraqi sovereignty."

Masoum called on Turkish authorities to "withdraw its forces from Iraqi territory and to prevent recurrence of such an incident, which harms the relations between the two neighboring countries."

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi also said the presence of Turkish troops is a "serious breach of Iraqi sovereignty."

"A battalion of tanks and artillery entered the Iraqi territory, specifically in Nineveh province under the pretext of training Iraqi groups without the request or authorization from the Iraqi federal authorities," according to Abadi.

Reports said a Turkish training battalion equipped with armored vehicles was deployed near the city of Mosul to provide training to Iraqi paramilitary groups against the extremist IS militants.

Mosul, the capital of Nineveh province, has been under IS control since June 11, 2014. Endit