ERBIL, Kurdistan Region- Iraqi politicians still disagree on the nature of Turkish troop deployment near Mosul, some calling for cutting off all ties with Ankara while others welcome the Turkish move.
“Turkey violating Iraq’s sovereignty will open doors for other countries to violate as well. If the Iraqi government refused to response, this will have a negative impact on the Iraqi people.” Mohammad al-Kash, an Iraqi MP from the Mwatin bloc told Rudaw.
Al-Kash said that he has asked Prime Minister Haidar al Abadi to revoke all agreements with Turkey for what he called their incursion into Iraqi territory.
“Turkey violated Iraq’s territory and needs to withdraw its forces immediately and we ask the prime minister to cancel all agreements with Turkey,” he said.
But Sunni member of the Nineveh provincial council, Ali al-Zoubai says that the Iraqi government itself had invited the Turkish troops into the country and had made such arrangements before the news was made public.
“The existence of the Turkish troops in the areas near Mosul is not new, it was planned with the Iraqi government to deliver training to the Iraqi Army and fighters of the region and we as Nineveh provincial council we welcome having Turkish troops,” he said.
Al-Zoubai said that the Turkish soldiers will not participate in the battle for Mosul but added that the provincial council in Mosul welcomes Turkish training of local forces for the final operation.
“We at the Nineveh provincial council do not have any issues with having Turkish troops near Mosul because they are training the soldiers to be prepared for Mosul liberation offensive,” he explained.
Turkish leaders have reassured Iraq that their troops are not there in a combat role and rather train Iraqi and Peshmerga forces. But Iraqi PM Abadi has accused Ankara of violating Iraq’s sovereignty and asked them directly and through the United Nations to leave the country immediately.
Meanwhile an MP from the bloc of the Iraqi Factions Union says that if Turkish troops are asked to withdraw from Iraq the same should be asked of Iranian troops.
“There is no difference between having Iranian or Turkish troops inside Iraq,” MP Badr al-Falih told Rudaw. “Why no one talks about the presence of Iranian troops and its violation to Iraqi territory.”
He added: “We refuse the existence of foreign forces inside Iraq whether from Turkey or Iran, except the military trainers and advisers.”
Al-Falih believes that Iraq cannot afford to severe trade and economic ties with Turkey despite the threats.
“Iraq will be the only one at disadvantage from cancelling its agreements with Turkey because Iraq's economy depends on Turkish companies and the economy will breakdown when those companies are out,” he concluded.
