Upset with Turkey, Iraq Seeks UN Security Council Session
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iraq has requested an emergency session of the UN Security Council over the presence of unauthorized Turkish troops in northern Iraq.
The troops, which Turkey claims are training anti-Daesh fighters near the Iraqi city of Mosul, have caused a spike in tensions between the two neighbors.
Iraqi state TV reported Thursday that the Foreign Ministry has asked the council to "shoulder its responsibility" and "intensify international support" ahead of a major Iraqi military operation to take back Mosul from Daesh militants, the Associated Press reported.
Relations between Iraq and Turkey have become strained since late last year when Turkey sent troops to the region of Bashiqa, northeast of Mosul allegedly to train anti-Daesh fighters there.
Baghdad considers this a "blatant violation" of Iraq's sovereignty and has demanded Turkish withdrawal, a call Ankara has ignored.