Turkey Halts Transfer Of Forces To Mosul, But No Pullback: Foreign Ministry

Turkey has halted the transfer of additional forces to the Bashiqa region of Mosul, but there has been no withdrawal, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç said Dec. 8.

Turkey has trained 2,441 people as part of training being provided to the Mosul National Guards in the Bashiqa camp in coordination with the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) and Iraqi authorities, he said in a press conference.

Due to increasing clashes with the Islamic State (IS) in Mosul, Turkey recently sent additional forces to the camp, Bilgiç added.

"We'll solve this problem and increase coordination to the highest possible level" Bilgiç said.

The Turkish foreign minister conducted a phone conversation with his Iraqi counterpart late on Dec. 7 to provide assurances that Ankara respects its neighbor's territorial integrity, he added. - Ankara