Iraq: Turkey to Withdraw from Bashiqa After Mosul Operation

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Iraqi Ambassador to Turkey Hisham Ali Akbar Ibrahim Al-Alawi has stated that Mosul operation will end within three months and Turkey’s soldiers in Bashiqa camp will withdraw after the operation is over.

“Other collaborations can be discussed if the Bashiqa [issue] is resolved. We don’t expect Turkey to launch an operation in Iraqi lands.

“We will not let terror organizations threat neighboring countries. No permission for foreign groups including the PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party).

“We won’t allow presence of any foreign group or the PKK in Sinjār. Our priority is not Mosul but we have no doubt about liberating Sinjār as well”, Al-Alawi said.

Emphasis on safety by Turkey’s Minister of Defense

Concerning the matter, Minister of National Defense Fikri Işık said “Turkey respects Iraq’s territorial integrity and sovereign rights”.

“We will not let any problems between Turkey and Iraq. From this perspective, presence of Turkish soldiers in Bashiqa, Mosul is not arbitrary but a necessity. Cleansing DEAŞ (ISIS-Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), making Mosul safe again is important in terms of Turkey’s safety”. (YY/TK)