Alwaght-Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is distorting Iraq’s anti-ISIS operation in Mosul after realizing his country has been confined to the periphery in regional events especially in Iraq.
As part of a strategy to reclaim its clout in the region, Turkey has now resorted to a negative role vis-à-vis Iraqi military operations against ISIS terrorists in the strategic city of Mosul.
Psychological operations against Iraqi forces
Over the recent past, Turkey has been involved in psychological operations against Iraq forces, especially the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) known in Arabic as Hashid Shaabi.
Turkish President Tayyip Recep Erdogan on Sunday said Ankara would intervene to stop PMF by claiming that this Pro-government organization is committing crimes on the way to liberate Mosul from ISIS terrorists. In blatant interference on Iraq’s internal affairs, Erdogan cautioned PMF in northern Iraq of advancing at the town of Tal Afar, home to ethnic Turkmen. PMF has denounced the ludicrous statements by Erdogan and further revealed that its fighters are prepared to fight alongside forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "After clearing all our land from these terrorist gangs, we are fully ready to go to any place that contains a threat to Iraqi national security," Ahmed al-Asadi, a spokesman for the group told a news conference in Baghdad on Saturday. This is decision is expected to further infuriate Erdogan who has been supporting terrorists fighting to overthrow President Assad.
Turkey has also been involved in attempts to incite discord within the ranks of Iraqi forces aligned against ISIS terrorists in the Mosul operation.
In its latest provocation, Turkey on Tuesday began deploying tanks and other armored vehicles to the town of Silopi near the Iraqi border. Turkey’s Defense Minister Fikri Isik, claimed the deployment is part of anti-terrorist fight and is also linked to the developments in Iraq. "We will not allow the threat to Turkey to increase," Isik told broadcaster A Haber.
Iraq Warns Turkey
In response to the deployment, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Tuesday warned Turkey against provoking a confrontation. He reiterated that Baghdad does not want war with its neighbor.
"The invasion of Iraq will lead to Turkey being dismantled," Abadi said at a televised news conference.
"We do not want war with Turkey, and we do not want a confrontation with Turkey," he said.
"But if a confrontation happens, we are ready for it. We will consider (Turkey) an enemy and we will deal with it as an enemy," Abadi said.
It is the latest escalation in a protracted dispute between Iraq and Turkey that has seen repeated calls from Iraqis for Turkish troops to be withdrawn. Officials in Ankara have dismissed the calls and continue to make arrogant and belligerent remarks thus escalating tensions between the two countries.
Turkey is apparently itching to open another battle front in northern Iraq revolving around Mosul by creating a power vacuum which will provide a pretext for its expanded military intervention.
Turkey’s illegitimate ambitions will lead to more isolation of Ankara as its Western allies have so far not openly backed its incursions in Iraq. Even Kurdish Regional Government in northern Iraq has ignored Turkish pressure. The central Baghdad government has the ultimate decision on who participates in the Mosul offensive
