| Author (Person) | Strachota, Krzysztof |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW) |
| Series Title | OSW Analyses |
| Series Details | 09.12.15 |
| Publication Date | 09/12/2015 |
| Content Type | Journal | Series | Blog |
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On 5 December 2015, the Iraqi government accused Turkey of violating its territorial sovereignty and illegally sending its troops across the state border. It insisted on the withdrawal of the Turkish troops, otherwise a complaint would be brought to the UN Security Council, and suggested it was prepared to launch a military operation, with political support – and probably also motivation – from Iran and Russia. The pretext for Baghdad’s political offensive was provided by the presence of the Turkish armed forces in Iraq in connection with Turkey’s engagement in the training of Arab and Kurdish fighters to combat Islamic State. The real goal of this offensive was an attempt by Iran and Russia to eliminate Turkey as a political player in the Middle East. Given the vast scale of Turkey’s interests in northern Iraq, it did not relinquish them voluntarily. This increased the risk of an escalation of tension in Iraq and of Turkey becoming further entangled in the Middle Eastern crisis, including it coming into open confrontation with Iran and Russia in Iraq. |
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| Source Link | http://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2015-12-09/iraq-a-new-front-turkey |
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| Countries / Regions | Turkey |
