Iran: Turkey Mustn’t Violate Iraqi Sovereignty Over Mosul

Turkey Claims It's Participating in Invasion Despite Iraqi Objections

Adding its two cents into the increasingly tense exchanges between Iraq and Turkey over the later’s involvement in invasion of Mosul, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has issued a statement warning Turkey not to violate Iraqi sovereignty over the matter.

Turkey has an estimated 500 ground troops in Iraq, despite objections from the Iraqi government, and insists they will remain there. Turkey has also vowed to be involved in the Mosul invasion, despite Iraqi Prime Minister Hayder Abadi insisting their involvement is neither needed nor wanted.

Turkish FM Mevlut Cavusoglu, indeed, claimed today that Turkey is already participating despite objections, and claimed Turkish troops had killed 17 ISIS fighters around the city. They also reported four Turkish warplanes involved in airstrikes against ISIS.

Iraq had been complaining about the Turkish troops for over a year now, and this added to their objections to Turkish involvement in the invasion itself. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has argued that because Mosul used to be Turkish, they have a unique interest in the fight, and don’t need permission.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is news editor of