Turkish PM Visits Iraq Amid Spat Over Unauthorized Troops
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim commenced a two-day visit to Iraq Saturday, the first since the two governments quarreled over the presence of unauthorized Turkish troops in northern Iraq, straining relations between the two neighbors fighting the Islamic State group. Meanwhile, Iraqi government troops made fresh progress in their push against IS inside the northern […]Sinan Salaheddin reports for AP:
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim commenced a two-day visit to Iraq Saturday, the first since the two governments quarreled over the presence of unauthorized Turkish troops in northern Iraq, straining relations between the two neighbors fighting the Islamic State group.
Meanwhile, Iraqi government troops made fresh progress in their push against IS inside the northern city of Mosul, dislodging militants from new areas and for the first time reaching the nearest point to Tigris river that divides the city since the operation began in mid-October.
The presence of some 500 Turkish troops in the Bashiqa region, northeast of the IS-held city of Mosul, has stirred tension with Baghdad since late last year. Iraq has demanded their withdrawal, saying they are there without permission and are in "blatant violation" of Iraqi sovereignty. Turkey says the troops were invited by local Iraqi authorities and has ignored the calls.
