Turkey- Iraq: Foreign military support must have consent of gov't
Date
12/14/2015 4:39:31 AM
(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) Iraq’s political leaders have asserted that any external support for the country must be carried out through official channels and with the consent and knowledge of the government.
On Saturday evening the president parliament speaker and the head of Iraq’s Council of Ministers met with the leaders of various political blocs with whom they agreed on 14 points.
The 14 points included the refusal to allow Turkish forces onto Iraqi territory and the need to resolve outstanding differences between the central government in Baghdad and northern Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government (KRG).
According to a statement issued by the Iraqi presidency after the meeting "All external support for Iraq must come via official channels and with the consent of the Iraqi government".
"The entry of Turkish military assets into Iraqi territory without the prior understanding or consent of the Iraqi government cannot be accepted or tolerated" the statement read.
Turkey has been running a training program since March in a training camp established in Bashiqa near Mosul to provide training to Iraqi volunteers as part of the fight against Daesh terrorist group. The Turkish troops in the camp were not given combat duties and responsibilities.
On Dec. 4 approximately 150 Turkish soldiers and 20 to 25 tanks were deployed to replace the training units already in the area leading to tensions between Ankara and Baghdad.
Iraq the statement added "retains the right to use all legal means to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity; we [the presidency] support the Iraqi government in the steps it has taken in this regard".
The presidency went on to call for "serious and responsible dialogue" between Baghdad and the KRG with a view to addressing outstanding differences "based on the [Iraqi] constitution and in line with national unity".
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