Iraq warns Turkey to pull out forces, Ankara says unlikely
December 08, 2015 01:30
Baghdad warned Ankara today that time is running out to remove forces it sent to northern Iraq without permission, but Turkey indicated it was unlikely to do so.
Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said there were "only 24 hours left" of the 48 that Iraq gave Turkey to remove tanks and soldiers sent to a base near Mosul.
And Abadi visited the country's air force headquarters, saying: "We must be prepared and ready to defend Iraq and its sovereignty," according to his office.
"The air force has the capability... to protect Iraq and its borders from any threat it faces," the premier said.
But despite the tough talk by Abadi, who is struggling to assert Iraq's sovereignty while receiving foreign assistance against the Islamic State group, Baghdad's air force is hopelessly outgunned by Turkey and its realistic recourse is limited to diplomacy.
A senior Turkish official said today that Ankara was unlikely to withdraw the forces, which number between 150 and 300 soldiers backed by 20 tanks, that were deployed to a base in the Bashiqa area, near IS's Iraqi hub Mosul.
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