Iraqi President Says Turkish Deployment Violates International Law
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iraqi President Fouad Massoum on Saturday called the deployment of several hundred Turkish troops near the northern city of Mosul "a violation of international norms and law" and said it would raise regional tensions.
In an online statement, Massoum called on Turkey to withdraw the forces and asked Iraq's foreign ministry to take the necessary measures to preserve the country's sovereignty and independence, Reuters reported.
The Iraqi prime minister's office also condemned the Turkish move earlier on Saturday.
Turkish security sources said on Friday that several hundred Turkish troops had been deployed to allegedly provide training for Iraqi troops near Mosul, a city of more than one million people which ISIL militants overran in July 2014.
Turkey troops have been in northern Iraq on a training mission since last year to help shore up forces fighting the ISIL group, including Kurdish Peshmerga forces.
Turkey has battled with Kurdish rebels at home and in Iraq for decades but has developed a close partnership with the Kurdish Regional Government in northern Iraq.
