Politics

US: Turkey is not in Iraq as part of Coalition

Turkey's President Recep Erdogan had vowed that his government would do what it wanted in an anticipated operation to capture the Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State.

Ari Khalidi 2016/10/12 12:40

world Turkey USA Iraq Bashiqa

WASHINGTON D.C., United States (Kurdistan24) - US Department of States said on Tuesday that a Turkish contingent deployed in Iraq was not there as a part of the anti-IS Coalition.

In reply to a question by a Kurdistan24 correspondent during a daily press briefing in Washington, State Department's Spokesperson John Kirby restated US view that Turkey needed to respect Iraq's sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Turkey's President Recep Erdogan had vowed that his government would do what it wanted in an anticipated operation to capture the Iraqi city of Mosul from the Islamic State (IS) and ranted on about Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's character.

In response, Abadi took to Twitter and said: "To @RT_Erdogan: we are not your enemy and we will liberate our land through the determination of our men and not by video calls," in what might be a vague reference to Erdogan's FaceTime call on TV on the night of July 15 to people to resist an unfolding military coup that eventually failed.

Kirby urged both leaders to resolve the contention over the presence of some 150 Turkish soldiers in a camp in the Bashiqa area of Nineveh Province through dialogue and to focus on fighting the "common" enemy, IS.

Erdogan also claimed Abadi himself had demanded from Turkey to set up a military base in Bashiqa during the tenure of his ex-Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, citing video records "would be broadcast on TVs."

Upon Erdogan's remarks, the state-run Anadolu Agency (AA) released a clip of a press conference during a December 2014 visit by Abadi in which he thanks Turkey for “military intelligence, arms, and training support" to Iraq.

State Department's Kirby said he was not aware of the clip and backed Abadi who has denied any invitation to Turkey to deploy its military in Iraq.

Separately, Kirby released a written statement reiterating US view that "all international forces in Iraq should be there with the approval of and in coordination with the Government of Iraq, under the umbrella of the Coalition."

On Wednesday, Turkey's Deputy PM Numan Kurtulmus insisted that his country's forces would remain in Iraq "until the IS is driven out of Mosul," according to an interview with the AA.

Editing by Ava Homa

(Laurie Mylroie contributed to this report from Washington)