US withdraws from Turkey-Iraq Bashiqa debate

U.S. State Department spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday the recent tension between Turkey and Iraq that arose from the Bashiqa camp "is a matter for the governments of Iraq and Turkey to resolve," during a daily press meeting in Washington.

Kirby continued by saying the dialogue between Turkey and Iraq is supported by the U.S. and called on all parties to coordinate closely over the coming days and weeks to ensure unity of effort. Ankara maintains an estimated 2,000 troops in Iraq, around 500 of them in the Bashiqa camp training local fighters who were sent there at the request of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

Even though the Iraqi central government said that Turkish military units stationed in the Bashiqa camp near Mosul were "occupying forces" and "should be immediately withdrawn," footage from a 2014 press conference resurfaced proving that Turkey and Iraq had originally agreed to collaborate in the fight against the Daish terrorist group. In the video, Abadi told the press conference, with then Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, that his government demanded "military, intelligence, arms and training support" from Turkey and help from "every neighboring country."

"It is imperative for all parties to coordinate closely over the coming days and weeks to ensure a unity of effort," Kirby added later, in a statement released as Ankara and Baghdad traded barbs. He said that operation would be led by Iraq and that it was determined by Baghdad which forces should be deployed on its sovereign territory. "The Turkish forces that are deployed in Iraq are not there as part of the international coalition and the situation in Bashiqa is a matter for the governments of Iraq and Turkey to resolve," Kirby concluded.