Tension between Iran and Turkey over military action in Iraq -

Ankara/Tehran: Turkey and Iran had united against the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia. However, this bond between the two countries seems to be deteriorating. Iran has warned that the Turkish military’s presence and its actions in Iraq will not be tolerated. Whereas Turkey lashed out that Iran, which is harbouring 525 terrorists, should not give lectures regarding counter-terrorism actions to Turkey. It has been reported that both the countries issued summons to the respective ambassadors after that.

13 people had been killed in a terrorist attack in Iraq. These included 12 Turkish soldiers and spies and one civilian. Turkey carried out an action in the Iraqi border regions, blaming the Kurdish rebels for the attack. It is also being claimed that Turkey has deployed its soldiers and tanks in the Iraqi border regions. Iran, a neighbour of Iraq, objected to the military actions taken by Turkey. Iraj Masjedi, the Iranian Ambassador to Iraq, criticised, ‘Iran will not accept military deployment or interference of any kind by Turkey or any other country in Iraq. Turkish military deployment is a threat to Iraqi security.’

At the same time, Turkish Ambassador to Iraq, Fatih Yildiz, lashed out at the Iranian Ambassador on social media. Yildiz retorted that Iran has no right to lecture Turkey over the Iraqi border.

Derya Ors, the Turkish Ambassador to Iran, alleged, ‘We believed that Iran was with Turkey in the war on terror. But Iran has sheltered 525 Kurdish terrorists.’ Following these verbal volleys, Iran and Turkey summoned each other’s Ambassadors.

Meanwhile, Turkey is saying that military deployment and action in Iraq is against the Kurds. But the media in the Gulf are accusing that Turkey is eyeing the oil-rich province of Mosul, and Turkey wants to acquire this province and take steps towards establishing the Ottoman Empire.