Although Ankara justifies its military presence in the Mosul area by claiming it is a training mission against the Islamic State (IS), the rivalry over who will have a say in the destiny of the region complicates the issue.
After Turkey sent a reinforcement unit accompanied by 25 tanks to Bashiqa camp 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Mosul, the Iraqi government demanded a withdrawal in 48 hours. Turkey, in response, announced it had suspended a second reinforcement unit but wouldn’t withdraw its troops already at the camp. Despite all the efforts to ease the tension, both sides stood firm by their positions.