Iraq, Turkey Summon Each Other's Ambassadors in Protest
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Turkey and Iraq have summoned each other's ambassadors to protest statements by one country's prime minister and the other's parliament.
The developments Wednesday reflect growing tensions between the two neighbors.
Iraq's Foreign Ministry summoned Turkeys' ambassador to Baghdad to condemn allegedly "provocative" comments by Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim about the planned operation allegedly to dislodge Daesh (ISIL) militants from the city of Mosul.
Yildirim said the operation could spark sectarian tensions if the Sunni Arab-majority region around Mosul were to be placed under Shiite control after the offensive.
In Ankara, meanwhile, Turkey summoned the Iraqi envoy to protest an Iraqi parliament resolution denouncing Turkish troop presence in the region of Bashiqa, northeast of Mosul, where Turkish forces claim they are training anti-Daesh fighters, AP reported.
