Leader's Top Aide Sees Turkey's Decision to Pull Out Troops from Iraq as Positive Sign

Rasa - Iranian Supreme Leader's top aide Ali Akbar Velayati welcomed a decision by the Turkish government to withdraw its military forces from Iraq.

News ID: 426370

Date: 08 January 2017 - 21:37

RNA - "This issue that the Turkish government has decided to observe good neighborliness with Iraq and respect Iraq’s territorial integrity is a positive step," Velayati said.

After a meeting with Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in Baghdad on Saturday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said that his administration has reached an agreement with Turkey over Baghdad’s demand for the withdrawal of Turkish military forces from a camp in Northern Iraq.

"We welcome any kind of friendship among regional countries as we do not welcome any tension between Turkey and Iraq,” Velayati added.

The Iraqi state TV, which aired Abadi’s announcement, did not provide further details about the agreement over Turkey’s military presence in the Iraqi town of Bashiqa. Turkey deployed about 500 troops to the facility last year, saying it was wary of potential attacks by the ISIL terrorists that had the city of Mosul, near Bashiqa, under their control.

Iraq has repeatedly called on Turkey to withdraw its forces or risk a potential confrontation with the Iraqi army, which is currently battling the ISIL in Mosul. Baghdad has also refused Ankara’s call for a contribution to the Mosul liberation operation.

Yildirim arrived in Baghdad on Saturday for a two-day visit, the first since relations between the two neighboring countries began to strain over the Bashiqa dispute.

Turkish Ambassador to Baghdad Faruk Kaymakci expressed hope earlier that the visit could "open a new chapter in Turkey-Iraq relations".

Sources in Ankara had also speculated that Yildirim's discussions in Baghdad would include the Bashiqa dispute, the fight against the ISIL, and the issue of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Turkey’s controversial deployment to Northern Iraq comes as Ankara continues with its military operations in the neighboring Syria. The Turkish operation, which began in August, has faced similar criticism from the Syrian government. Turkey says it will continue the push which it says is meant to uproot ISIL and the Kurdish militants.

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