Turkey troops in Iraq threat to region

A senior Iranian cleric has warned that Turkey’s illegal deployment of troops to northern Iraq would be detrimental to Ankara and the entire region.

“There is no logic behind this issue (troop deployment),” Hojjatoleslam Kazem Seddiqi said in an address to worshipers at weekly Friday Prayers in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

He added that the Muslim people of Turkey would not be happy with their government’s wrong approach toward neighboring states and Muslim nations, calling on Turkish officials to focus on their own country’s security and economy and to respect Islamic values as well.

Iran condemns Turkey’s deployment of troops to Iraq and recommends Turkish officials to stop carrying out measures which would lead to their country’s isolation, he said.

Turkey deployed last Friday hundreds of troops and heavy weaponry to areas around the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, which is now occupied by the Daesh Takfiri group.

Iraq has strongly condemned the deployment, branding it as a blatant violation of its sovereignty. Iraqi officials have threatened to take action against Turkey at the United Nations Security Council.

Meanwhile, the Turkish prime minister’s office said in a statement on Friday that Ankara has decided in talks with Iraqi officials to “reorganize” its military personnel at the Bashiqa camp near Mosul.

On Sunday, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Arab and African Affairs Hossein Amir-Abdollahian described the deployment of Turkish forces in northern Iraq as a wrong measure, saying it jeopardizes security across the region.

He added that such a move by the Turkish government will not only fail to help rout terrorism but will result in chaos and intensification of insecurity in the region.