AhlulBayt News Agency - Russian demands that Turkey withdraw its troops from Iraq, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Tuesday adding that Turkish actions are completely unacceptable.
In December, Turkey deployed about 150 troops and 25 tanks to a base in the Iraqi Nineveh province, without Baghdad’s approval. Turkey said its troops had entered Iraq to protect Turkish instructors deployed at the base earlier to train local militias, fighting against ISIS.
"We demand that Turkey withdraw its troops from the Iraqi territory where they are located to strengthen the sovereignty of Iraq, according to ex-Prime Minister [Ahmet] Davutoglu. That is a completely unacceptable position, in principle, I believe what the Turks are doing deserves far more public attention by our western partners," Lavrov said.
Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had called on Russia to pull out its forces from Syria, where the Russian military is conducting a Damascus government-sanctioned aerial campaign against terrorist groups.
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