BAGHDAD,— Thousands of Iraqis gathered outside the Turkish embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday to protest that country‘s continued military presence north of Mosul, despite demands by the government for Ankara‘s soldiers to leave.

The followers of Sadrist Movement led by the powerful Shi’ite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr staged the demonstration in front of the Turkish embassy in Baghdad, demanding Turkey to withdraw its troops from Iraq.

Protesters carried Iraqi flags and demanded that the Turks withdraw from Bashiqa base, in line with repeated requests by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

“Out out, you occupier,” was one of the slogans being chanted, according to witnesses.

Muqtada al-Sadr, a hardline Shiite cleric, is one of those calling for the demonstrations against the troops‘ presence. The fact they are inside Iraq has caused tensions between Baghdad and Ankara just as Iraq has started a campaign for Mosul, the country‘s second city, from Islamic State.

The Turkish troop presence in the region of Bashiqa, northeast of Mosul has stirred tension with Baghdad. Iraq says they are in “blatant violation” of Iraqi sovereignty and had demanded their withdrawal. Turkey says the troops were invited by Iraqi forces and has ignored the calls.

On October 11, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to “know your place,” and said that he is “not on my level.”

There are 800 Turkish troops deployed in the Mosul and Shaqlawa regions, the move that sparked a crisis between Ankara and Baghdad. Turkey sent a contingent of an additional 150 forces and 25 tanks in December 2015 to bolster its military presence in the Bashiqa camp, an area that has seen recent fighting.

Iraqi leaders said in December 2015 that hundreds of new Turkish troops had arrived without their knowledge or approval, calling it a violation of its sovereignty.

According to reports on Sunday, Turkish state have sent reinforcements, which are to participate in Mosul operation, to Bashiqa through Duhok.

Local sources in Duhok city in Iraqi Kurdistan informed Firat News Agency agency that 1,200 more Turkish soldiers, 8 tanks and several armored vehicles were deployed to Bashiqa region on Saturday night.

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus said on Oct. 12, that Turkish troops will remain in the Bashiqa military camp in northern Iraq until Islamic State militants have been driven from the nearby city of Mosul.

Tuskih Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Tuesday that Turkey’s air force has been involved in coalition air strikes on the Iraqi city of Mosul, part of the U.S.-backed operation to flush out Islamic State.