Iraq’s parliament asked the government to send a diplomatic note to Turkey’s ambassador to Baghdad, to describe Turkish troops in the country as “hostile occupying forces,” and to reconsider trade and economic ties with Turkey. The Iraqi parliament also rejected Turkish lawmakers’ recent decision to extend the mandate on authorization of the government for cross-border military operations into Iraq.
In a written statement on Tuesday, the Turkish Foreign ministry condemned the Iraqi Parliament’s characterization of Turkish troops in Bashiqa, assigned for the training of Sunni forces against the Islamic State (IS), as “occupiers.”
“We strongly condemn the Iraqi parliament’s unacceptable decision, including dirty accusations against the Turkish President,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that the decision did not reflect the opinion of the Iraqi people who Turkey has stood by and supported for years.
It also highlighted that Turkey had been fighting IS, which is a threat to its national security, and that Ankara is a member of the international coalition fighting the terror group.
“Turkey has lost thousands of citizens due to the terror threat from Iraq and has defended Iraq’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, stability and security taking huge political and economic risks, despite being affected directly by the instability caused by the sectarian approach of Iraq,” the statement added.
Iraq Foreign Ministry summoned the Turkish ambassador in Baghdad to protest what it said were "provocative" comments made in Ankara about keeping Turkish troops in northern Iraq, a ministry spokesman said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Turkish parliament decided last week to extend a mandate that allows military operations against militant organizations in Iraq and Syria for another year.
Turkey says it deployed troops at a base in northern Iraq late last year as part of an international mission to train and equip Iraqi forces to fight against Islamic State, which controls a swathe of territory south of the border region, around the city of Mosul, and also in neighboring Syria.
The Iraqi government says it never invited such a force and considers the Turkish troops occupiers.