MESOP NEWS TODAY : Turkish Troops Won’t Leave Bashiqa in Northern Iraq: Source / They will be proceeding with their mission to help local forces liberate their areas from IS, the source said

17 July 2016  – Nuwar Faqie – BasNews  – BASHIQA — A security source from Turkey has revealed that Turkish soldiers will not leave northern Iraq and they will stick to their plan.Hundreds of Turkish troops, equipped with heavy arms and armored vehicles, have been deployed to a military base near Bashiqa district in northern Iraq. Their presence previously created tensions between Baghdad and Ankara when the Iraqi government urged Turkey to withdraw from its territories and respect the sovereignty of Iraq.

After a failed military coup in Turkey, a security source has now revealed to the media that there has been no change in the plan for these troops near Mosul, and they will be proceeding with their plans. The source said that the Turkish troops will remain to help local people liberate their areas from the Islamic State (IS) and stabilize their hometowns. There are nearly 1,200 Turkish troops in a military base near Bashiqa, northern IS-held Mosul, reportedly training Sunni militia forces of Hashd al-Watani who are preparing to take part in a future assault to liberate Mosul. www.mesop.de