Baghdad denies Turkey is taking part in Mosul offensive

Iraq’s joint operations command denied Turkey was participating in military operations to retake the northern city of Mosul from Daesh.

In a statement, the operation’s spokesperson denied Turkish participation in any kind of liberation operation of the Nineveh region.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, however, told reporters yesterday that Turkish troops stationed outside Mosul had provided support “with artillery, tanks and howitzers” following a request by Kurdish Peshmerga forces.

Thousands of Peshmerga forces are currently involved in a massive push in the Bashiqa area northeast of Mosul, where Turkey has a military base. Their leader, who has close ties with Turkey, recently complained that the US led air support was insufficient.

Turkey had repeatedly stated it wanted a part in the massive operation to retake Mosul, a policy that is also supported by US Defence Secretary Ashton Carter. Before his surprise visit to Baghdad on Saturday, Carter had suggested that Turkey should be given a role in the Mosul offensive.

Iraq’s Prime Minister, Haider Al-Abadi, swiftly rejected the idea following the meeting with Carter saying “I know that the Turks want to participate… We tell them ‘thank you, this is something the Iraqis will handle and the Iraqis will liberate Mosul’.”

Read: Iraqi PM declines Erdogan’s offer to help in Mosul battle