Abdollahian: Turkey Deploying Troops to Iraq Endangers Regional Security

Monday, 7 December 2015

Abdollahian: Turkey Deploying Troops to Iraq Endangers Regional Security

An Iranian deputy foreign minister has described deployment of Turkish forces in northern Iraq as a wrong measure, saying it jeopardizes security across the region.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said on Sunday that such a move by the Turkish government will not only fail to help rout terrorism but will result in chaos and intensification of insecurity in the region.

The Iranian official said contribution of other countries to the fight against terrorism requires full coordination with the Iraqi government and getting its permission.

Iran believes that such measures, if conducted without coordination with the Iraqi government, run counter to regional security, Amir-Abdollahian stated.

The Iranian diplomat expressed confidence that all countries will benefit from coordinated efforts to fight terrorism and strengthen regional security.

Turkey has deployed 150 soldiers, who are reportedly armed with tanks and artillery, in a camp in Iraq’s Nineveh Province, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the border with Iraq, where Ankara has been training forces in an attempt to retake the provincial capital of Mosul from Daesh Takfiri terrorists.

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry on Saturday summoned the Turkish ambassador to demand Turkey withdraw its troops from Mosul.

It said Turkish troops have entered the Iraqi territory without Baghdad's consent and that Iraq considered it "a hostile act."

However, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu described the move as a routine troop rotation and said Turkish forces had set up a camp near Mosul a year ago in coordination with Iraq.