Gagrule.net

Gagrule.net News, Views, Interviews worldwide

Iraq FM Vows All Legal Measures If Turkey Refuses to Withdraw Troops

By

Iraq Foreign Minister Ibrahim Jaafari

Iraq Foreign Minister Ibrahim Jaafari

Iraq Foreign Minister Ibrahim Jaafari said that he will use all legal means to respond to Turkish troops in Iraq.

CAIRO (Sputnik) – Baghdad will exhaust all available legal possibilities if Turkey does not withdraw its ground forces from Iraq, Foreign Minister Ibrahim Jaafari said Thursday.

“We are not threatening for now. But if our security and integrity is continued to be threatened, I will use all legal means to respond to the attack. Every option is on the table,” Jaafari said at the Arab League emergency meeting on the Turkish military intervention in Iraq.

The Arab League issued a statement condemning Ankara for its military incursion into Iraqi territory and demanding the Turkish government to withdraw its troops.

On December 4, Turkey deployed about 150 troops and 25 tanks to northern Iraq reportedly to help national forces to reclaim the city of Mosul from the Islamic State (Daesh in Arabic), prohibited in Russia and many other countries.

Following the deployment, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi demanded the withdrawal of the Turkish troops, sent into the Bashiqa camp without Baghdad’s approval.

Iraq Wants Turkish Troops Out Once and for All

By

1031420337-1Baghdad has welcomed Turkey’s decision to start removing its troops from northern Iraq, but said it would press for a complete withdrawal of Turkish forces from its territory, Iranian media wrote on Sunday.

“What has been reported in the media is a step in the right direction,” Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said in a statement released in Baghdad, Press TV reported.

Jaafari stressed that Baghdad will carry on its process with the UN Security Council until “full withdrawal is achieved.”

© AFP 2015/ BULENT KILIC

First Step Toward Annexation? The Real Reason Turkey Sent Troops to Northern Iraq

On Saturday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced that Ankara would continue its military pullout from the Bashiqa military base in Iraq’s northern Nineveh province.

Ankara started withdrawing its troops on December 14, after Iraq had officially filed a complaint with the UN Security Council, calling on the United Nations to ensure an immediate pullout of the Turkish forces from its country’s territory.

On December 18, US President Barack Obama urged his Turkish counterpart “to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq” and take additional steps to deescalate tensions with the country, including by continuing to withdraw Turkish military forces.

Baghdad also called on the Security Council to adopt a resolution, urging Turkey to end its “illegal incursion” and immediately withdraw all of its troops from the Iraqi soil.

Turkey claims that the troops are deployed to train Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga fighters battling the Daesh terrorist group.

Tensions between Baghdad and Ankara have been running high since December 4, when Turkey deployed heavily armed soldiers backed by two dozen tanks to the Bashiqa base.

Turkey has deployed about 150 troops and 25 tanks to the Bashiqa camp in the northern Iraqi province, without Baghdad’s approval, allegedly as part of an international mission to train and equip Iraqi forces to fight Islamic State (ISIS/ISIL or Daesh in Arabic).

Source: sputniknews.com

IRAQ: Turkish troops in Iraq: Arab League meeting on December 24

By

The foreign ministers of the countries of the Arab League will meet on December 24 in an extraordinary session in Cairo to discuss the deployment of Turkish troops in northern Iraq, said Wednesday the pan-Arab organization.

Turkey had deployed there about ten days a contingent of soldiers and 150-300 twenty armored vehicles in the Bachiqa camp in northern Iraq. Turkish and Iraqi officials had reported Monday a partial withdrawal of the military.

Ankara said it was simply rushed reinforcements to protect the Turkish military advisers to train Iraqi soldiers in the fight against jihadist Islamic State Group (EI), which include monitoring the big city of Mosul. But Baghdad saw an illegal incursion.

The “extraordinary” meeting of ministers of Arab Foreign Affairs will be held on December 24 “on the request of Iraq (…), to study the deployment of Turkish military forces on its territory,” said Wednesday the journalists the Deputy Secretary-General of the Arab League, Ahmed Ben Helli.

Turkish and Iraqi officials reported Monday the withdrawal of Turkish soldiers from Bachiqa camp, but counselors are apparently remained. Ankara has similar military camps in the autonomous region of Kurdistan, also in northern Iraq. Iraq demanded on Tuesday a “complete withdrawal” of Turkish forces from its territory.

Thursday, December 17, 2015,
Stéphane © armenews.com

AFGHANISTAN The German Minister of Defence visits Armenian troops

By

arton119623-480x270The German defense minister, Ursula von der Leyen, inspected and praised Armenian troops serving in Afghanistan under German command during a visit to the war-torn country. His visit ended yesterday.

Von der Leyen visited them Monday to Camp Marshal, a German military base near the northern city of Mazar-e Sharif, which also serves as the regional headquarters of the multinational force led by NATO in Afghanistan.

According to the Armenian Defense Ministry, she thanked the 56 Armenian soldiers currently deployed there for their service. “She noted that Armenia is considered a reliable partner and expects this partnership to be sustainable,” the ministry said in a statement.

A photograph published by showed him the commander of the Armenian contingent exhibiting von der Leyen an Armenian national flag and an English-language book about a medieval monastery in Armenia.

The Armenian soldiers serve under German command and use German equipment since they were deployed in Afghanistan in 2010. Many of them have undergone short courses in Germany before their deployments.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian reiterated last week in Yerevan intends to maintain its military presence in Afghanistan, “at least until the end of 2016”.

The NATO mission also seems to have boosted the broader military ties with Armenia Germany. The defense ministries of the two countries pledged to strengthen bilateral cooperation last year when they approved a plan of joint activities for 2015.

President Serzh Sargsyan spoke of “fruitful cooperation with Germany” Armenia when he spoke at the NATO summit in Wales in August 2014. It was for him to “excellent example of the interaction between the members and partners of NATO states. “

Wednesday, December 9, 2015,
Claire © armenews.com

ISIS GodFather Davutoglu: Turkey will not withdraw troops from Mosul

By

177495Image1ERBIL, Kurdistan Region- Turkey’s Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Monday that Turkey refuses to withdraw troops after Baghdad has reportedly given  them 48 hours to leave.

The announcement came during a Turkish security council meeting regarding the presence of Turkish troops near the Islamic State stronghold Mosul in northern Iraq.

On Sunday, Baghdad reportedly gave Turkish troops 48 hours to leave Iraq, following a late night meeting by Iraq’s National Security Council.

“Turkey’s forces have entered Iraq without our consent and the Iraqi government has not been informed. We consider the act as a violation of Iraq’s sovereignty and disrespecting a neighbor,” said the statement, following the meeting held by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

“Baghdad has the right to use all means against Turkey including contacting the (UN) Security Council if Turkish forces do not leave the land in 48 hours,” the statement continued.

Davutoglu has reportedly reassured Iraq that Turkish troops would not be sent into the city of Mosul without Baghdad’s consent.

“There will be no deployment of forces to Bashika (Mosul city) until the sensitivities of Iraq are addressed,” Davutoglu said.

Iraqi Parliament Demands Action Over Turkey Troops in Iraq

By

1031432681The Iraqi parliament’s security and defense committee demanded the government to take all measures necessary to end the presence of Turkish troops in Iraq, according to committee member Iskander Watut.

BAGHDAD (Sputnik) — The Iraqi parliament’s security and defense committee has demanded the government to take steps to secure the withdrawal of Turkish forces from the country’s north, committee member Iskander Watut told Sputnik on Tuesday.

“Today, we held a committee meeting and demanded the government to take all measures necessary to end the presence of Turkish troops in Iraq,” Watut said.

Turkey has been accused by the Iraqi authorities of violating their country’s sovereignty after it deployed its troops to northern Iraq’s Nineveh province on December 4.

Turkey claimed that its forces were aiding Iraq’s army in its fight against the Islamic State (ISIL, or Daesh in Arabic), outlawed in Russia. Iraq rejected the claims, stating that Turkish forces had never been invited, calling Turkish military presence a “hostile move.”

On Sunday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi gave Turkey 48 hours to withdraw its troops, saying that Iraq could then resort to any measures, which include raising the issue in the UN Security Council. The Security Council is expected to hold a closed-door meeting on the matter on Tuesday.

Terrorist State of Turkey Refuses to Withdraw Its Troops From Northern Iraq Despite Ultimatum

By

1031357707In the face of fierce protests from the Iraqi government and the international community, Turkey is refusing to withdraw troops from northern Iraq.

Over the weekend, Ankara deployed approximately 600 additional troops to a camp in Iraq’s Ninevah province, close to the city of Mosul.

“It is our duty to provide security for our soldiers providing training there,” Turkish foreign minister, Mevlut Cavusoglu, told Kanal 24. “Everybody is present in Iraq…The goal of all of them is clear. Train-and-equip advisory support is being provided. Our presence there is not a secret.”

But the Iraqi government, viewing the move as a clear breach of sovereignty, condemned the action, and gave Turkey 48 hours to remove its troops.

But Turkey has refused to comply with the order, insisting it informed the Iraqi government of its actions, and that there was demand for Turkish support in the area.

“The military personnel for training will stay. Not because we them [there] particularly but because there is a demand from the Iraqi side,” a Turkish official told reporters, according to the Guardian. “The discussion with the central government still continues.”

Iraq had previously indicated that if Turkey failed to withdraw its troops, a complaint would be filed with the United Nations.

“In case we have not received any positive signs before the deadline we set for the Turkish side, then we maintain our legal right to file a complaint to the [UN] security council to stop this serious violation to Iraqi sovereignty,” said Iraqi government spokesman Saad al-Hadithi, according to the Guardian.

Turkey’s actions were also condemned by the Arab League, which described the troop buildup as “blatant intervention.” Nabil Elaraby, Secretary-General of the Arab League, released a statement saying that his organization would also support Iraq’s appeal to the UN Security Council.

Even the United States, one of Turkey’s key allies, has stressed that it does not support troop deployments on Iraqi territory without the consent of the central government.

While Turkey is ostensibly in Iraq to fight Daesh, also known as ISIL/The Islamic State, Ankara has, in actuality, been more focused on combating Kurdish militias. Russia has presented evidence that Turkey benefits directly from Daesh’s illegal oil trade, and thus has little interest in eliminating the terrorist group.

On Friday, Iran also said it has “irrefutable evidence” of Turkey’s involvement in illegal oil smuggling.

“Iranian military advisors in Syria have taken photos and filmed all the routes used by ISIL’s oil tankers to Turkey,” Iran’s Expediency Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaie told reporters.

“If the Turkish authorities are unaware of the Daesh oil sales in their country, then we can provide them with such intelligence.”

Ankara has faced intense criticism since the downing of a Russian bomber along Turkey’s Syrian border. An unprovoked attack, the incident left two dead.

Turkey Has 24 Hours to Withdraw Troops From Iraq – PM Abadi

By

1031289080Turkey must withdraw its troops from Iraq within 24 hours to avoid the matter being reviewed by the UN Security Council, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi said Monday.

DUBAI (Sputnik) — On Friday, media reports emerged of up to 150 Turkish military personnel having been deployed in northern Iraq’s Nineveh province, allegedly to provide training to Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.

On Sunday, Baghdad said it would use all available options, including an address to the UN Security Council, if Turkey failed to withdraw its troops from northern Iraq within 48 hours.

“We demand from Turkey that it respect Iraq’s sovereignty, we gave them 48 hours to resolve the issue and now there are only 24 hours,” Abadi said, as quoted by his press office.

Political scientist on reason of Azerbaijani troops’ increased activity on the border

By

political-scientistFire opened by Azerbaijani troops on Armenian border villages, and systematic violations of the ceasefire are due to the policy conducted by Azerbaijani and the desire of official Baku to maintain its influence more or less in the region, political scientist Hrant Melik-Shahnazaryan told Panorama.am.

In particular, he explained Azerbaijani troops’s increased activity in recent days by the joint Turkish-Azerbaijani military drills currently underway in Azerbaijan.

“I am sure the tension is conditioned by Turkish-Azerbaijani drills and the presence of the Turkish army in the territory of Azerbaijan. In the present situation when Ilham Aliyev does not assist Turkey with the fight against the Kurds, he has to show his own problems by playing with the country’s security,” Melik-Shahnazaryan noted.

In his words, through this policy Azerbaijan is trying to demonstrate its own importance in the region in order to solve both domestic and external problems. “Attempts are made so that superpowers could hold negotiations with Azerbaijan to try to persuade it. In fact, it is blackmail, and it should be noted that in the past few years this method has worked,” Melik-Shahnazaryan said.

As regards Azerbaijan’s policy aimed at marinating the tension, the political scientist said: “Azerbaijan lacks potential for taking new steps. That country fails to understand that this could lead to serious consequences. Nevertheless, it is evident from Azerbaijani media reports that society in Azerbaijan is seriously concerned over the situation on the border and does not share the tactics of the authorities in Baku”.

Referring to the Shant-2015 (Lightning -2015) command and staff exercises launched in Armenia, H. Melik-Shahnazaryan considered the drills an ‘extra stimulus’ to deter Azerbaijan.

Source: Panorama.am

Armenia ready to send more troops to help the United Nations in Lebanon

By

arton115440-480x270Armenia is ready to increase the number of its soldiers serving in the mission of the United Nations peacekeeping in Lebanon, announced yesterday Ohanian, the defense minister. The mission is led at present by the Italian army.
Ohanian has offered the deployment of additional troops at a meeting with the Italian Ambassador to Armenia, Giovanni Ricciulli and his military attaché based in Moscow, Brigadier General Massimo Fogari. In a statement