ISTANBUL: Turkey stopped the deployment of troops to the northern Iraqi region of Bashiqa two days ago after Baghdad complained, and Ankara will not do anything to diminish Iraq’s sovereignty, the Turkish foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
“It is unacceptable to think that Turkey would take a step that would weaken Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, over which Turkey has a high sensitivity,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.
“Due to the sensitivity that has occurred among the authorities in Iraq, our friend and brother, we stopped the force deployment to Bashiqa two days ago.”
(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; Writing by Nick Tattersall)
Reuters
