Turkey's Foreign Ministry summons Iraqi ambassador over controversial decision

The Foreign Ministry has summoned the Iraqi ambassador to Ankara on Wednesday, over the Iraqi parliament's controversial decision to remove the Bashiqa camp, where Turkish troops train Iraqi forces.

According to diplomatic sources, Ambassador Hisham Ali Akbar Ibrahim al-Alawi was summoned early Wednesday following the Iraqi parliament's decision to remove Turkish troops, calling them 'occupiers.'

On the same day, Iraqi foreign ministry also summoned the Turkish ambassador, reports said.

On Tuesday, Turkey condemned the Iraqi parliament's decision to remove the Bashiqa camp.

The Bashiqa camp, located about 30 kilometers northeast of Mosul, first came to the forefront in December last year during a routine military shipment.

Baghdad complained about the Dec. 4 deployment of troops to the site near Mosul, calling it a violation of Iraqi sovereignty and insisting the Turkish forces be withdrawn.

Turkey said that the 150 soldiers and up to 25 tanks were stationed in Bashiqa to protect Turkish servicemen training Iraqi volunteers to fight Daish. The training mission had reportedly been in operation since March 2015 and was not assigned to combat duties.

Soldiers were sent to Bashiqa at the request of Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi.