Turks blame US, Iran for encouraging Baghdad against Ankara
Turkey's opinion-makers think Iraq isn’t acting alone in its calls for Turkish troops to leave a camp near Mosul.
Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi’s demand that Turkish troops stationed in the Bashiqa camp near Mosul leave Iraq has riled Turks of all shades, regardless of whether they support President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the ruling Justice and Development Party or not.
The blame for Baghdad’s position, however, is being placed on the United States, which is said to be inciting Abadi against Turkey. Iran is also accused of using the Abadi government to keep Turkey away from a Mosul operation.
According to some, the aim is to help anti-Turkish terrorist groups and ensure that oil from northern Iraq does not flow into Turkey, while others argue that there is an effort to put up a Shiite belt around Turkey.
Given the closeness of some of the opinion-makers to the government, it is not difficult to conjecture that they reflect some of the thinking in official circles. If that is indeed the case, it means Turkey’s ties with the United States and Iran will face more strains as events in Iraq and Syria unfold.
