Decision does not reflect opinion of Iraqi people Turkey has stood by, supported for years, Turkish foreign ministry says
Turkey's foreign ministry on Tuesday condemned the Iraqi parliament's characterization of Turkish troops in Bashiqa as occupiers as it urged a reassessment of financial ties with Ankara.
"We strongly condemn the Iraqi parliament's unacceptable decision, including dirty accusations for Turkish President [Recep Tayyip Erdogan]," the ministry said in a statement.
It said the decision did not reflect the opinion of the Iraqi people Turkey has stood by and supported for years.
Turkey's concerns will also be conveyed to Iraq's ambassador to Ankara, who has been called to the ministry, the statement said.
It also highlighted that Turkey had been fighting Daesh which is a threat to its national security and that Ankara is a member of an international coalition fighting the terror group.
"Turkey has lost thousands of citizens due to the terror threat from Iraq and has defended Iraq's territorial integrity, sovereignty, stability and security taking huge political and economic risks although it has been affected directly by the instability caused by the sectarian approach of Iraq," the statement said.
A mandate that allows military action against terror organizations in neighboring Syria and Iraq for one more year was first approved by Turkey's parliament in 2007 and extended after Daesh appeared, according to the statement.
"Turkey will maintain its determination on fighting against the terrorist organizations which threaten the national security as a right to self-defense as well as on protecting the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Iraq, with which it shares a common future," according to the statement.
The Iraqi parliament on Tuesday rejected Turkish lawmakers' decision to extend the mandate.
Iraqi authorities have been urged to "take the friendly hand that Turkey offers" to the benefit of Iraq and the region "in a period which is so critical in terms of fighting against Daesh", it added.
The Iraqi parliament asked the government to send a diplomatic note to Turkey's ambassador to Baghdad; to describe Turkish troops in the country -- training forces against Daesh -- as "hostile occupying forces"; to condemn Erdogan's statement and to reconsider trade and economic ties with Turkey.
