Erdogan: Turkey Will Not Withdraw Its Forces from Iraq

Continuing the tension between Ankara and Baghdad over the presence of Turkish forces in northern Iraq, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated on Thursday, December 10, that Turkey will not withdraw its troops from near Mosul. Iraq has accused Turkey of deploying its military forces at the 'Bashika' camp near Mosul without Baghdad's permission. Iraq had previously summoned the Turkish ambassador in Baghdad. Meanwhile, Erdogan has stated that the Turkish military forces dispatched to this camp do not have a combat mission and are present for training the Kurdish Peshmerga forces of Iraq. The Turkish Prime Minister indicated that these forces were sent to the region at the request of the Iraqi Prime Minister last year. Erdogan clarified that the number of troops at this camp may increase or decrease depending on the number of Peshmerga forces present for training. The Turkish Prime Minister has said that the request for the withdrawal of soldiers at this time is 'not up for discussion.' Turkey had previously announced that it would not withdraw its forces from northern Iraq. A few days ago, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, in an interview with Turkey's Channel 24, stated, 'Everyone is present in Iraq. The goal of everyone is clear... Training and providing equipment is ongoing. Our presence in Iraq is not secret.' Last week, reports of a Turkish armored battalion moving to the 'Bashika' camp in northern Mosul, Nineveh province, sparked recent tensions between Ankara and Baghdad.