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Turkey, Iraq reach agreement ‘in principle’ on Mosul

October 21, 2016 at 5:12 pm

US Defence Secretary Ash Carter announced today that an agreement “in principle” had been struck between Baghdad and Ankara regarding Turkey’s role in the ongoing operation to dislodge Daesh militants from Mosul.

Speaking to reporters after finishing talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in the Turkish capital, Carter said: “I think there’s agreement there in principle but now we’re down to the practicalities of that … and that’s what we’re working through.”

Before heading to Ankara, Carter had stated that he would be stressing Iraqi sovereignty to Turkish officials. The past weeks have seen Turkey and Iraq exchange barbs over a Turkish military deployment to Bashiqa in northern Iraq that Baghdad says is without its permission.

Turkish officials have rejected this interpretation of events, insisting that they were invited by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Erbil with Baghdad’s consent.

Turkish state media TRT even released footage of former Iraqi Defence Minister Khalid Al-Obeidi touring the Bashiqa camp with Turkish military personnel present.

In a further indication that the United States did not object to Turkish involvement in the fight against Daesh, Turkish Defence Minister Fikri Isik told reporters after his meeting with his US counterpart today that Washington is keen to work with Ankara to recapture the Syrian city of Raqqa from Daesh.

An Iraqi-led, US-backed offensive to recapture Mosul from Daesh militants has been underway this the early hours of Monday this week. Iraqi forces are currently bogged down in villages and roads around Mosul, and have yet to reach the city itself.