Turkey confirms Iraq troop withdrawal as NATO pulls back due to Iran war
The confirmation of the withdrawal came as part of NATO’s decision to withdraw its forces in its Iraq mission amid Iran war.
ANKARA — Turkey’s Defense Ministry confirmed on Thursday that Turkish troops have completed their withdrawal from Baghdad, following NATO’s decision to relocate its forces from Iraq to Europe amid the widening US-Israel-Iran war.
Details: “The evacuation of our Turkish Armed Forces personnel serving in Baghdad, the capital of Iraq, to our country has been successfully completed,” a high-level Defense Ministry official told journalists in Ankara on condition of anonymity.
The official said Ankara had "also provided support for the evacuation of allied personnel.”
Turkey’s withdrawal followed NATO Mission Iraq’s announcement that it had pulled its personnel from Iraq, neighboring Iran, on March 20 due to security concerns over potential spillover from the war. US strikes have targeted Iran-aligned militias and Iranian-backed groups in Iraq, while Tehran has carried out scores of attacks on US diplomatic and military targets and civilian infrastructure in the country.
