President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday that Turkey is determined to be a part of coalition forces in an imminent offensive to retake the oil-rich Iraqi city of Mosul from Daesh.
“We are determined to take our place among the coalition forces for Iraq’s unity and solidarity," Erdogan told a mass inauguration ceremony in the central province of Konya.
“You invited us to [Camp] Bashiqa," he said, referring to the Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi's demand for a military base in that country.
The president added that coalition forces in Iraq must realize Turkey was "not a tribal state".
Turkey and Iraq have engaged in a war of words about the presence of Turkish troops in northern Iraq's Bashiqa.
The president earlier told Abadi to "know his limits," reminding him the Turkish military presence in Iraq was due to a demand made by Baghdad.
Last December, Turkey sent 150 troops and about two dozen combat tanks to Bashiqa, located 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) northeast of Mosul.
The deployment – which was criticized at the time by Baghdad – was aimed at protecting Turkish military personnel tasked with training Iraqi volunteers to fight Daesh.
Turkey says its troops are going to be there to prevent any potential sectarian conflict in and around Mosul after the city is taken from Daesh.
The operation could begin as soon as next week if preparations are completed.