Iraqi President Fuad Masum has called on the Turkish authorities to withdraw troops from his country in order to avoid the deterioration of bilateral relations, a presidential statement obtained by Sputnik said Saturday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – On Friday, various media reports said that about 130 Turkish military personnel had been deployed to the Mosul area in Iraq allegedly to provide training to Kurdish Peshmerga militia fighting against the Islamic State jihadist group (ISIL, or Daesh in the Arab world).

Masum called the Turkish initiative a “violation of international norms, laws and Iraq’s national sovereignty.”

“We call on the responsible authorities of the Republic of Turkey to withdraw its armed forces from Iraqi territory and warn against a repetition of such incidents, deteriorating relations between two neighbouring states and increasing tension in the region,” the statement read.

The Iraqi president also ordered the government and ministries, especially the Foreign Ministry to take the necessary measures to preserve the sovereignty and independence of Iraq and maintain good relations with Turkey, according to the document.

Baghdad Summons Turkish Envoy Over Troops’ Deployment in Iraq

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry has summoned the Turkish envoy in Baghdad on Saturday over the deployment of Turkish forces near the northern city of Mosul, Reuters reported.

On Friday, various media reports said that about 130 Turkish military personnel had been deployed to the Mosul area in Iraq allegedly to provide training to Kurdish Peshmerga militia fighting against Daesh (also known as ISIL or the Islamic State terrorist group).

The Iraqi ministry described the deployment of Turkish forces in Iraq without the permission of Baghdad as a “hostile act.”

Earlier in the day, Baghdad has called on Ankara to “immediately” withdraw its forces, including tanks and artillery, which it has deployed in the country’s northern Ninawa province, without Baghdad’s consent, according to a statement from the press service of Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi obtained by RIA Novosti.

Moreover, Iraqi authorities called on Turkey to “respect good neighborly relations” and “immediately withdraw its military from the territory of Iraq.”