Iraq Requests Urgent UN Security Council Meeting: 'Turkey Has Violated Our Territorial Integrity'

Iraq has called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council regarding the presence of Turkish military forces in its northern regions. Tensions between Baghdad and Ankara have escalated. In a statement from the Iraqi Foreign Ministry on its website, it was mentioned that this body has 'submitted a request for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the violation of Iraq's territorial integrity and interference in its internal affairs.' The publication of this request comes a day after both countries summoned additional ambassadors to their foreign ministries, and less than a week after the Turkish parliament extended military operations in Syria and Iraq. In fact, with the Turkish parliament's renewed vote to continue military operations, Baghdad has once again increased its criticisms and protests against the presence of its northern neighbor's military forces. The Turkish parliament issued a mandate for military operations in October 2014 and has renewed it again this month. Part of this military operation is aimed at countering the 'Islamic State' group, but a large portion is also focused on battling Kurdish militants; for example, in Syria against the 'People's Protection Units,' which Ankara considers a branch of the 'PKK.' The PKK is regarded as a terrorist organization by Turkey and other countries such as Iran and the United States. In Iraq, Turkish military forces are mainly present in the 'Bashika' region near Mosul, where they engage in activities such as training and preparing Kurdish Peshmerga forces and some Sunni militia groups. Some of the main Shiite militia groups in Iraq are also supported by Iran, and Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force, has occasionally been present alongside these groups in certain areas of Iraq. Turkish political officials describe the nearing Mosul operations and potential events afterward as another reason for their presence in Iraq. The Turkish Prime Minister stated last Tuesday that his country would not allow these operations to lead to demographic changes. Binali Yildirim said that the Iraqi government's plan to retake Mosul is 'not clear,' and if the area is handed over to Shiite militias after the city is retaken, sectarian tensions will rise. These remarks have also faced protests from Baghdad, which condemned them as provocative. Haider al-Abadi, the Prime Minister of Iraq, has also stated that Ankara is instigating a regional war. However, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, the Turkish Foreign Minister, emphasized that Ankara does not see a 'serious problem' occurring and urged the Iraqi central government to 'stop the rhetoric so that problems can be resolved.' According to Reuters, the Turkish Foreign Minister stated that their forces have trained about three thousand local militia members, including Arabs, Kurds, and Turkmen, to fight against the 'Islamic State.'