Erdogan Says Turkey Has a 'Historical Responsibility' Towards Iraq

The President of Turkey emphasized the necessity of Turkey's participation in the battle for Mosul and stated that Ankara supports 'Sunnis' and 'Turkmen.' Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in a speech in Ankara on October 19, stated that his country has a 'historical responsibility' towards Iraq. According to Erdogan, the need for Ankara's involvement in the Mosul battle and upcoming events 'has reasons'; he mentioned that Turkey does not want to intervene in a way that leads to ethnic and sectarian tensions, but is concerned about the future of Sunni Muslims and Turkmen in northern Iraq. The battle to retake Mosul began on Monday. The central government of Iraq, which has recently been engaged in severe verbal tensions with Ankara, stated that only the army and police will be present in the operation to retake Mosul from the group known as 'Islamic State.' In the days leading up to the start of the Mosul operation, Saudi Arabia and Turkey expressed their opposition to the presence of Shiite militias in the operation. Erdogan stated in his speech, 'They say 30,000 Shiite militias are coming. They must be prepared for what they will face.' The organized Shiite militias in Iraq are supported by Iran. The commander of the Quds Force has personally visited the battlefronts between them and ISIS militants. However, countries like Turkey and Saudi Arabia claim that these groups have committed violence in previous battles, including in Fallujah. Some non-governmental reports, including from Reuters, have raised accusations against the Shiite militias. Several senior figures among the Shiite militias have denied these reports, stating that their aim is to pressure the Iraqi government to prevent the presence of 'Popular Mobilization' forces in the battles. Riyadh severed its diplomatic relations with Iran following the execution of a Shiite cleric in Saudi Arabia and the subsequent burning of the Saudi embassy in Tehran. Relations between Ankara and Tehran have also faced tensions in recent years, particularly amid disagreements such as the Syrian crisis. It is estimated that the Mosul battle could increase tensions both within Iraq and among neighboring countries. Recently, U.S. officials, following the start of the Mosul retaking operation, stated that Washington is aware of the 'dangers' of starting operations under the current conditions in Iraq, but at the same time, expecting to solve internal problems in the short term and then begin operations is 'not realistic.' Turkey currently has stationed some of its military forces in northern Iraq near Mosul, which has led to severe reactions and criticism from Baghdad. However, Erdogan responded to these criticisms by telling his Iraqi counterpart, 'You better understand your limits... You are not at my level.' The United States has called for respect for Iraq's territorial integrity and a focus on battles against the 'common enemy.' John Kirby, a spokesperson for the U.S. State Department, stated, 'All neighboring countries of Iraq must respect the territorial integrity and independence of this country.' In response to these statements, the President of Turkey said, 'You come from tens of thousands of kilometers away... We share a 350-kilometer border with Iraq.' The Mosul operation has begun while presidential elections are also approaching in the U.S., and it is unclear how long the battles will last. The new U.S. president will likely be one of the two main candidates, either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, both of whom have presented completely different approaches to foreign policy.