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U.S. welcomes Turkey's withdrawal of troops out of Iraqi camp

Xinhua, December 15, 2015 Adjust font size:

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on Monday welcomed reports of the withdrawal of Turkish troops out of a Iraqi camp as "an important step to de-escalate recent tensions," the White House said.

In his telephone talk with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Monday, Biden reiterated that any foreign military presence in Iraq must be with the full consent of the Iraq government, the White House said in a statement, adding that both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to Iraqi sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Turkey has shifted some of its troops stationed in Camp Bashiqa near Iraqi city of Mosul to the north close to the Turkish border.

The move came on the heels of recent spat between Ankara and Baghdad over the fresh deployment of Turkish military trainers in Bashiqa camp that prompted an outcry from Baghdad that said it was not notified in advance.

Over the phone, Biden encouraged Ankara to continue its dialogue with Baghdad on additional measures to improve relations between Turkey and Iraq.

Biden also reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to close cooperation with Iraq and Turkey in the fight against the extremist group Islamic State. Endit