Turkey, Iraq agree in principle on Ankara’s involvement in Mosul op: Carter
ANKARA
AFP photo
Ankara and Baghdad have agreed in principle over the former’s much-debated involvement in a military operation to retake Mosul from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter said Oct. 21, private broadcaster CNN Türk has reported.Carter said the details of Ankara’s possible role in the operation had not been shaped yet as they were also awaiting confirmation from Baghdad.
"That will have to obviously be something that the Iraqi government will need to agree to and I think there's agreement there in principle," Carter told reporters travelling with him in Turkey, according to Reuters.
"But now we're down to the practicalities of that ... and that's what we're working through," he said.
Turkey’s involvement in the operation to liberate Iraq’s northern city of Mosul from ISIL, which was launched on Oct. 17, caused a row between Ankara and Baghdad.
Baghdad declared the Turkish troops in a camp in Bashiqa as illegal, wanting them to leave the country, while Turkey denied the allegations and said its troops were there on invitation.
Turkey and the United States have reached an agreement in which Turkish warplanes will join an ongoing operation to capture Mosul, Turkey’s Prime Minister, Binali Yıldırım, said on Oct. 18, adding that Turkey’s F-16 Fighting Falcons would be called for duty by the Kuwait-based command center if required.
"But now we're down to the practicalities of that ... and that's what we're working through," he said.
Turkey’s involvement in the operation to liberate Iraq’s northern city of Mosul from ISIL, which was launched on Oct. 17, caused a row between Ankara and Baghdad.
Baghdad declared the Turkish troops in a camp in Bashiqa as illegal, wanting them to leave the country, while Turkey denied the allegations and said its troops were there on invitation.
Turkey and the United States have reached an agreement in which Turkish warplanes will join an ongoing operation to capture Mosul, Turkey’s Prime Minister, Binali Yıldırım, said on Oct. 18, adding that Turkey’s F-16 Fighting Falcons would be called for duty by the Kuwait-based command center if required.
