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Ankara, Baghdad negotiate about Turkish troops in Iraq

Xinhua, October 14, 2016 Adjust font size:

Turkey and Iraq carried on negotiations about Turkish troops in a military camp in Mosul region, Turkish presidential spokesperson Ibrahim Kalin said on Thursday.

Ankara wants to resolve the problem through negotiations with Baghdad, Kalin told reporters at the presidential complex.

Turkey neither has an eye on Iraq's land nor has any secret agenda, and whoever thinks in contrary is acting maliciously or in deep delusion, he said.

The spokesperson tuned down war of words between Ankara and Baghdad that was erupted over Turkish troops in Bashiqa military camp in northern Iraq, local media reported.

Kalin warned of possibility of major migration from Mosul in case of mistakes in a planned military operation in the Iraqi province, according to private NTV.

"Any offensive towards Mosul is of particular concern to Ankara since any mistake can lead to thousands of people fleeing," he said.

Turkey's primary concern regarding an operation is to carry out the offensive in coordination in order to secure people of Mosul, the spokesperson stated.

Any mistake could harm struggle against the Islamic State (IS) and bring up new complications in Turkey's fight against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), he said.

Kalin expressed Turkey's concerns about reports that the PKK fighters in Sinjar region might participate in Mosul operation.

"We have shared information and documents on this issue with relevant parties, with Iraqi officials being in the first place," he noted.

Turkish troops at the Bashiqa camp in northern Iraq were seen by Iraq as "hostile occupying forces." The Turkish parliament voted lately to extend its military mandate in Iraq and Syria, in a move that has further angered Iraqi officials.

The presence of Turkish troops in Iraq was recently criticized by Baghdad. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said Turkey's military presence at the Bashiqa Camp in northern Iraq would continue despite the parliament in Baghdad branding Turkish forces as "occupiers" earlier this week.

Last December, Turkey sent some 150 troops and about two dozen combat tanks to Bashiqa, located some 12 kilometers northeast of Mosul. Endit