Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi rejected the offer of Turkish involvement in the battle against the Islamic State in Mosul, a day after Ash Carter said he had reached an “agreement in principle” with Turkish officials.
Abadi said that while it was important to keep good relations with their Turkish neighbors, the “the Mosul battle is an Iraqi battle,” according to the Washington Post.
“We don’t have any problems,” Abadi said. “[If help is needed,] we will ask for it from Turkey or from other regional countries.”
The Iraqi leader welcomed Carter at his palace in Baghdad Saturday during the first leg of the defense secretary’s seven-day trip to the Middle East and Europe. Carter met in Ankara with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Benali Yildirim and Defense Minister Fikri Isik Friday to discuss Turkey’s role in the fight against the Islamic State.
Carter commended Abadi and the Iraqi forces for starting the campaign against the Islamic State in Mosul, and reinforced the U.S.’ commitment to the fight. Mosul fell to the Islamic State more than two years ago and is the site of escalating civilian deaths and casualties.
Mosul is also at the center of tension between Iraq and Turkey after Turkey deployed 500 of its troops across its border north of Mosul and refused to withdraw them despite repeated requests. Turkey claims it has had ties to Mosul for centuries, and has a responsibility to protect the interests of the city’s Sunni majority.
Carter hoped to diffuse tensions between the two neighboring countries and unite them against the Islamic State threat. Despite the setback, Carter said in a news conference Saturday that he believes the U.S. could still play a role between them.
“We all need to stay focused on the fight against ISIL,” Carter said.
