Turkey slams Arab League chief over Iraq remarks

12/8/2015 11:33:55 PM

(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) Turkey has rejected Tuesdaythe remarks ofArab League chief Nabil al-Arabi whoclaimed that Turkey militarily had "intervened"in Iraqiterritory.

Following the deployment of Turkish soldiers near the Iraqi city of Mosul al-Arabi criticized Monday what he called a Turkish "intervention".

"We understand thatal-Arabi'sremarks concerning the Turkish military presence at a training camp in Iraq was not subject to prior consultations within the Arab League and as such they reflect his own personal views"Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesmanTanju Bilgicsaid.

Bilgic added: "Therefore these remarks emanating from the aforementioned who had previously made similar statements against Turkey which were not connected with his organization have no weight or validity whatsoever."

Turkish troops deployed near the Iraqi city of Mosul had been training Kurdish peshmerga fighters in northern provinces for two-and-a-half years.

Approximately 150 Turkish soldiers were deployed near the city last Fridayto replace training forces already in the area. In addition 20 to25 tanks were also sent to the region.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi had described the influx of troops and equipment as a violation of his country's sovereignty and contrary to good-neighbor principles.

The prime minister's office said Sunday that Iraq had the right to use all available options including resorting to the UN Security Council if the "foreign forces" were not withdrawn within 48 hours.

During his weekly address to the press on Tuesday spokesman Bilgic said Turkey will contribute "as much as possible"to Iraq'sstruggle against Daesh.

He said: "Within this framework we are respectful of the Iraqi government's territorial integrity and sovereignty."

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