Iraqi parliament’s decision does not represent all Iraqis: Minister

[T-123456]

A resolution adopted by Iraq’s parliament criticizing the Turkish military presence at the Bashiqa base in northern Iraq does not represent all of Iraqis, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said, describing the move as ill-intended.
“First of all, we don’t regard the statement of the Iraqi Parliament about the annually renewed motion in the Turkish parliament as well-intentioned. We very well know that this does not reflect the thinking of all of the Iraqi people,” Çavuşoğlu said at a press conference with visiting Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic late on Oct. 5.

Recalling that Turkey was renewing the motion that has granted authority to the Turkish army to conduct cross-border operations and to deploy troops in Iraq every year since 2007 because of “terror threats against the Turkish people,” Çavuşoğlu underlined that the scope of the authorization was broadened after the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) began posing a threat against Turkey.

“We wish that Iraq could provide for its own security and stability and not permit these terror organizations’ presence on their territories. Unfortunately, the current picture in Iraq and divisions affect its ties with regional countries,” he said.

Blaming former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for pursuing sectarian policies which paved the way for terror organizations like ISIL to find an opportunity to occupy Mosul, Çavuşoğlu said Turkey had to take its own measures to provide for its security against both ISIL and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).


“Still, we support Iraq’s fight against terror. The Bashiqa camp was not founded recently. It was established within the knowledge of the Iraqi government with the objective of training local forces against DAESH [the Arabic acronym of ISIL],” he said.

Forces at the Bashiqa camp have killed more than 750 ISIL militants so far, added the minister.

Officials from Baghdad visited the camp and provided financial assistance, Çavuşoğlu said, recalling that Turkey’s training efforts had become an issue as a result of problems within Iraqi internal politics.

“Our stance is clear. We want a strong and stable Iraq. We attach great importance to Iraq’s territorial integrity and independence. The division of Iraq or instability inside the country is not in our interest,” he said. “We do not want to see a sectarian Iraq. We regard the entire Iraqi people as our brothers.”

October/06/2016
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ir...ter-.aspx?pageID=238&nID=104658&NewsCatID=510

 

[T-123456]

PM Yıldırım vows Turkish troops will remain in Iraq amid row

Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has vowed that Turkish troops will remain in Iraq to continue the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and to make sure that no change to the region’s “demographic structure” is imposed.

“Whatever the Iraqi government in Baghdad says, the Turkish presence there [in the Bashiqa region] will remain for the fight against ISIL and to make sure that the demographic structure of the region is not being changed by force,” said Yıldırım.

He added that at a time when there are troops from 63 countries in Iraq to fight against terror, concern over the Turkish presence in the country was “absurd” and had “nothing to do with good intentions.”

October/06/2016

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/pm...-row.aspx?pageID=238&nID=104666&NewsCatID=510

 

[Osman Pamukoglu]

Oh no, our "Muslim Brothers" don't like us. Hahahahaha
Take our soldiers out of that pathetic excuse of a country. and let them suffer in their terrorism.
I lost all respect for them.
Time to stop calling these countries a friend of ours.

 

[TrMhMt]

Iraqi government??

They are nothing but bunch of puppets.

A so-called state which can not protect it's own people and land, a so-called government which is worst than African tribes.

Who cares what they say?

If they wanna have a good butt kick Turkiye has ability to do that...

 

[BordoEnes]

It may be true that the Iraqi goverment doesnt want us on Iraqi soil but i fail to see the reason why this becomes an issue amids the conflict with ISIS insurgency. A huge part of your state is still under ISIS control and you worry about a couple dosen Turkish soldiers training Peshmerga to fight ISIS more effectivly. You need all the help you can get. I respect Iraq's territorial integrity and sovereignty but its obvious the goverment has become a puppet. I sincerely think that you do not represent Iraqi peoples wishes in this case. Not to mention the fact that in the near future that particular soil might seize to be "Iraqi" and become "Kurdish" if you catch my drift.

 

[KediKesenFare3]

Don't generalize, please. Sunni Arabs, Turkmens and Barzani Kurds are supporting Turkey's position. But I start to understand why Jews and Wahabi Arabs have some serious issues with Shias. It's annoying.

 

[Timur]

wich iraqi government ? the peshmerga kurds of north iraq? the DAESH? or the shia militia called Iraq?`

 

[OguzSenturk]

I found this picture in dozens of news website. Look at the borders inside Iraqi border, around Musul to Telafer and Sincar. Are we aiming to create Sunni Turkmen-Arab state next to KRG?

Edit: My inner voice says we will never leave Başika military base, not even in next 20 years.

 

[kartal1]

If we assume that Barzani is puppet of Turkey so KRG is turkish puppet Turkey will be active in Iraq atleast as you say 20 years. KRG is working for the turkish interests and I personally see KRG as not officially turkish territory and this thing will become more deep after the anti PKK operations finish in Norhern Iraq.

 

[T-123456]

Iraqi govt’s remarks on Turkish troops ‘provocative,’ says PM Yıldırım

Baghdad’s recent remarks on Turkish soldiers stationed in Iraq are “dangerous and provocative,” Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said on Oct. 7, responding to claims that his Iraqi counterpart Haider al-Abadi allegedly said “Turkish soldiers should not think they are having picnic.”

“The soldiers are not having a picnic but carrying out a duty. They are part of a struggle with around 60 different countries. There are soldiers of many countries that do not have physical ties with Iraq and they are also carrying out this struggle in the name of humanity. So I find such statements from Baghdad unusually dangerous and provocative,” Yıldırım told reporters in Ankara.

He also stated that Turkish soldiers have been on Iraqi soil “for a long time” and Ankara does not have any designs on the unity of Iraqi soil.

The row between Baghdad and Ankara comes after Iraq’s parliament passed motion against the presence of Turkish troops at the Bashiqa camp in northern Iraq. The Iraqi parliament sent a diplomatic note to Turkey’s ambassador on Oct. 4, after which Turkey summoned Iraq’s ambassador to Ankara.

October/07/2016
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/ir...irim.aspx?pageID=238&nID=104727&NewsCatID=338