Turkey ‘welcomes’ liberation of Iraq’s Mosul

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry on Monday "welcomed" the liberation of the northern Iraqi city of Mosul over the weekend.

On Sunday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi arrived in Mosul to celebrate the victory over the Daesh terrorist group.

“We welcome the successful completion of the military operation conducted since October 2016 for the liberation of Mosul," said the Turkish Foreign Ministry statement.

The press release added that Turkey was ready to contribute to the reconstruction efforts of the city and to the elimination of the conditions that led to the emergence of Daesh.

“We share the sufferings of the people of Mosul, composed of different religious, sectarian and ethnic groups who are among the greatest victims in Iraq of the atrocities of Daesh, which has also targeted our country with its brutal terrorist acts,” said the statement.

Mosul was captured by Daesh along with vast swathes of territory in northern and western Iraq in 2014.

On Sunday, Iraqi forces battling Daesh militants reached the Tigris riverbanks in the Old City of Mosul.

Since October, the Iraqi forces, backed by a U.S.-led air coalition, had been trying to dislodge Daesh from Mosul, the terrorist group's last stronghold in northern Iraq.