Turkey continues to train troops in Iraq

12/22/2015 3:32:11 AM

(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmussaid Monday that training of Turkish servicemen in Mosul's Bashiqacamp would continue.

"The training [conducted] there byTurkish troops will continue [...]The additional troops we had sent there [earlier this month] have been pulled back to rear positions" Kurtulmustold the media after aCabinet meetingin Ankara.

"Turkey's main goalin sending additional troops to [Bashiqa camp] was to increase our sensitivity inthe fight against Daesh and to better protect our soldiers there"Kurtulmus said.

"Now somethese additional troops were withdrawn from there [Bashiqa] but I would like to express that we are on alertnot tojeopardize our presence there andelsewhere" he added.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari earlierhadwelcomed Turkey's moving its troops from Mosul'sBashiqacamp as a "step in the right direction".

"We deem media reports regarding Turkish troops' withdrawalas a step in the right direction within the context of reinforcement of our relations respect to Iraq's security and sovereignty and the fight against Daesh terror" said a statement from the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry had confirmed Saturday that the moving of troops would continue.

Baghdad had complained about the Dec. 4 deployment of troops to the site near Mosul calling it a violation of Iraqi sovereignty and insisting the Turkish forces be withdrawn.

Turkey said that the 150 soldiers and up to 25 tanks were stationed inBashiqato protect Turkish servicemen training Iraqi volunteers to fight Daesh. The training mission hadbeen in Iraq since March and was not assigned to combat duties.

Kurtulmus also talked about the relationship between Israel and Turkey referring to thediplomatic thawbetween Ankara and Tel Aviv.

"In 2013 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized. The first condition was fulfilled. Talks between Turkish and Israeli side are underwayto fulfill the second and the third condition"Kurtulmus said.

"Currently negotiations are not finalized politicallybut I would like to say negotiations are goingin a positive direction" he added.

Ankara cut its diplomatic relations with Tel Aviv in 2010 afterIsraeli naval forces raided a Turkish ship bringing humanitarian supplies to theIsraeli-blockaded Gaza Strip.

In order to restore diplomatic ties Turkey has demanded an apology fromIsrael compensation for the families of those killed in the attack and the lifting ofIsrael’s eight-year blockade of Gaza.

The first of these conditions was fulfilled in 2013 when Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu apologized for the attack to then Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

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