"Our military [personnel] have been present in Iraq for more more than a year, they are engaged in training the Peshmerga [Kurdish militias], Arab and Turkmen forces. So far, more than 2,000 people of those playing a major role in the liberation of Sinjar from Daesh have been trained… The increase in the number of our troops in Iraq is a routine rotation, undertaken under the threat of an Daesh attack. A different interpretation is a provocation," Davutoglu in an address to Parliament.
He said that Ankara had discussed the additional deployment with the Iraqi government at a ministerial level.
Davutoglu stressed that he would like to pay a visit to Iraq to enhance bilateral cooperation on the issue of the fight against Daesh.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi said the deployment of Turkish servicemen on Iraqi territory had been carried out without the consent and knowledge of the Iraqi authorities and represented a violation of sovereignty and a breach of the principles of good neighborliness.
On Monday, Abadi gave Turkey 24 hours to withdraw its troops from Iraq to avoid the matter being reviewed by the UN Security Council. Turkey has so far refused to comply with the requirements, and Baghdad has warned Ankara of possible economic measures if Turkish troops fail to leave Iraq.
