Next months critical in Iraq-Turkey relations on Bashiqa, says ambassador

Next months critical in Iraq-Turkey relations on Bashiqa, says ambassador 

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Turkish training local forces in Bashiqa base, northeast of Mosul in early 2015. Photo: AA

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region -- Iraq will send a defense delegation to Turkey only when the host country is prepared to discuss the logistics of the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Bashiqa, northern Iraq, said Iraq’s ambassador to Ankara. He also said that Iraq had exchanged information with Turkey about thousands of ISIS members fleeing to that country from Mosul and Tel Afar, creating a security threat to both countries. 

Iraq is not interested in an invitation from the Turkish defense minister to his counterpart if the former only wants to talk about “general issues,” Ambassador Hashim al-Allawi said in an interview with Turkish Hurriyet.

“If the invitation is to talk about the practical arrangements to withdraw forces from the Bashiqa camp, then the visit is likely to happen,” Allawi said. “But if we talk about an invitation to discuss general issues, I am not sure that that will happen. We need to show that we are serious about implementing the agreements the two prime ministers have and the relevant articles of the joint declaration.”

He added that the next few months will be critical to move in this direction and create a “positive environment.”

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi stressed last Tuesday that neighboring Turkey should pull its forces out of Iraq, otherwise Ankara-Baghdad relations will not see an improvement. His comments came only days after his Turkish counterpart, Binali Yildirm, paid a visit to Baghdad early in January, in an effort to defuse tensions between the two countries, in particular because of the Bashiqa issue.

The deployment of Turkish troops and heavy weapons to Bashiqa in December 2015 sparked a diplomatic crisis between Baghdad and Ankara that was reignited last October after Iraqi parliamentarians urged the Iraqi government to brand the Turkish presence as an occupation.

Iraq and Turkey signed a 9-point agreement in January to foster the mutual relations following a high level meeting headed by the two prime ministers. 

In their agreement, Iraq stressed the importance of Turkey’s withdrawal of its troops from Bashiqa and Turkey confirmed it respects Iraq’s sovereignty, though no details regarding a possible withdrawal were released. 

In the fight against ISIS in Iraq, Iraqi regular forces and the mainly Shiite Hashd al-Shaabi have closed in on the militants both in Mosul, and the Turkmen town of Tel Afar, west of Mosul.

Allawi said that many members of the extremist group have fled Iraq and many more are to follow. 

“The available information suggests that a significant number of them have already crossed the border to Turkey. Others are trying to do so. Many of them are from Tel Afar and Mosul or from other towns around. We have provided this information to Turkey.”

He added that it is vital to separate genuine civilians who flee the conflict areas to Turkey, from those who are ISIS members.

“They could pose a threat to the national security of Turkey, as well as the national security of Iraq,” the ambassador said. 

Iraqi forces have made significant gains in eastern Mosul, clearing almost the entire left bank of the Tigris River that bisects the city into the east and the west, three months after launching the major military offensive.

Allawi claimed that the fight for the western half of Mosul could be easier, and will then be followed by an offensive to liberate Sinjar, the Yezidi areas of Nineveh Province, and close to the Syrian border. 

“That means we are likely to see the end of Daesh in their capital in Mosul soon,” he said using the Arabic name for ISIS. “Then we can move on to other towns and villages, including Sinjar. There is an agreement between the central government and Kurdistan Regional Government to have a joint operation using the army and the Peshmerga to liberate Sinjar,” he said.

Kurdish Peshmerga forces and some units of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) liberated Sinjar in late 2015. However, ISIS remains in control of an 80 kilometre long stretch of territory west of Mosul.

maybe if the Turkish army was not camped out in Iraq they would not have a problem with ISIS slipping into their country!