Iraq Threatens Turkey with 'Military Action'

Ibrahim Jaafari, Iraq's Foreign Minister, has warned that Baghdad may resort to 'military action' if Turkish military forces do not withdraw from northern Iraq. According to the Associated Press, Mr. Jaafari stated during a press conference on Wednesday, January 9, that Baghdad continues its efforts to find a 'peaceful solution', but added, 'If war is inevitable, we will consider it to protect our sovereignty, people, and resources.' Turkey has established a military base in Bashiqa, near Mosul, in northern Iraq, where it trains the military forces of the autonomous Kurdistan Region of Iraq (known as Peshmerga). The aim of training these forces is stated to be 'fighting the Islamic State (ISIS)'. However, the central government in Iraq claims that Turkish military forces have been deployed in the country without Baghdad's consent and is demanding their withdrawal. The Turkish government has denied this, stating that its forces entered the country at the request of the Iraqi government, and that there has been a 'misunderstanding' between Baghdad and Ankara, with Turkey gradually withdrawing its forces from Iraq. Former U.S. President Barack Obama had previously urged Turkish military withdrawal from northern Iraq during a phone conversation with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. However, several Turkish military personnel remain in Bashiqa. The threat of military action from Iraq's Foreign Minister comes after the Iraqi President set a 48-hour ultimatum for Turkish forces to leave northern Iraq last month, but afterward, Baghdad only complained to the United Nations Security Council. Mosul, one of Iraq's largest cities, has been under the control of the Islamic State since last summer. This week, the Iraqi government successfully recaptured Ramadi, another major city in the country, with U.S. air support.