Turkey refuses to withdraw 'occupying' soldiers in Iraq after Baghdad protests.

Turkey refuses to withdraw 'occupying' soldiers in Iraq after Baghdad protests. (TZ).

Turkey said on Sunday it would halt further transfers of troops to an area near the ISIL-controlled Iraqi city of Mosul after Baghdad threatened to appeal to the United Nations to force Turkey to withdraw its soldiers.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said his country might turn to the UN Security Council if Turkish troops sent to northern Iraq were not withdrawn within 48 hours.

He said the deployment of hundreds of Turkish forces happened without the approval or knowledge of the Iraqi government and constituted a violation of national sovereignty.

Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu wrote a letter to Abadi, saying Turkey's armed forces would not send additional forces until Baghdad's "sensitivities" were placated. He stopped short of agreeing to Abadi's demand to withdraw the soldiers.

"No further forces will be deployed to Bashiqa until concerns of the Iraqi government are overcome," the letter said, according to sources at the prime minister's office in Ankara.

Iraqi Defense Minister Khaled al-Obeidi said he told his Turkish counterpart the latest deployment had been made without informing or coordinating with Baghdad, and should be withdrawn.

He said the Turkish defence minister had explained the deployment as necessary to protect military advisers training Iraqi forces some 30 kilometers (19 miles) northeast of Mosul in preparation for a campaign to retake the city. But Obeidi said the force was too large for such a purpose.

"No matter the size of the force entering Iraq, it is rejected," the statement said. "It was possible to undertake this sort of prior coordination without creating circumstances which contributed to a crisis between the two countries."

In his statement, Abadi said: "Iraq has the right to use all available options, including resorting to the UN Security Council if these forces are not withdrawn within 48 hours." Hmmmm.......Seems the sovereignty of other countries isn't much of a problem to 'Neo Ottoman conqueror' Turkey. This could be meant to trigger a bigger Conflict. Read the full story here.

US against military deployment inside Iraq without Baghdad’s consent https://t.co/XqtJYRY4Tt #Turkey pic.twitter.com/yFt3LG14Q7

— Turkey Media Review (@TurkeyReview) December 7, 2015