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PPoolliittiiccss && EEccoonnoommiiccss BBuulllleettiinn ► 07.09.2016 Minister: Iraqi parliament’s decision does not represent all Iraqis Hurriyet Daily News, 06.10.2016 A resolution adopted by Iraq’s parliament criticizing the Turkish military presence at the Bashiqa base in northern Iraq does not represent all of Iraqis, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said, describing the move as ill-intended. “First of all, we don’t regard the statement of the Iraqi Parliament about the annually renewed motion in the Turkish parliament as well-intentioned. We very well know that this does not reflect the thinking of all of the Iraqi people,” Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said at a press conference with visiting Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic. Recalling that Turkey was renewing the motion that has granted authority to the Turkish army to conduct cross-border operations and to deploy troops in Iraq every year since 2007 because of “terror threats against the Turkish people,” Çavuşoğlu underlined that the scope of the authorization was broadened after the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) began posing a threat against Turkey. “We wish that Iraq could provide for its own security and stability and not permit these terror organizations’ presence on their territories. Unfortunately, the current picture in Iraq and divisions affect its ties with regional countries,” he said. Blaming former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for pursuing sectarian policies which paved the way for terror organizations like ISIL to find an opportunity to occupy Mosul, Çavuşoğlu said Turkey had to take its own measures to provide for its security against both ISIL and the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). “Still, we support Iraq’s fight against terror. The Bashiqa camp was not founded recently. It was established within the knowledge of the Iraqi government with the objective of training local forces against DAESH [the Arabic acronym of ISIL],” he said. Forces at the Bashiqa camp have killed more than 750 ISIL militants so far, added the minister. Officials from Baghdad visited the camp and provided financial assistance, Çavuşoğlu said, recalling that Turkey’s training efforts had become an issue as a result of problems within Iraqi internal politics. “Our stance is clear. We want a strong and stable Iraq. We attach great importance to Iraq’s territorial integrity and independence. The division of Iraq or instability inside the country is not in our interest,” he said. “We do not want to see a sectarian Iraq. We regard the entire Iraqi people as our brothers.” 1 Turkish PM: Turkish soldiers will stay on Iraqi soil Hurriyet Daily News, 06.10.2016 Turkish troops will remain in Iraq to continue the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and to make sure that no change to the region’s “demographic structure” is imposed, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has vowed. “Whatever the Iraqi government in Baghdad says, the Turkish presence there will remain for the fight against ISIL and to make sure that the demographic structure of the region is not being changed by force,” said Yıldırım. He added at a time when there were troops from 63 countries to fight against terror, concern over the Turkish presence in the country was “absurd” and had “nothing to do with good intentions.” “Iraq’s reaction to Turkey’s military presence at the Bashiqa army base north of Mosul is “a fool’s errand” since there are soldiers from 63 countries in Iraq, the prime minister said, adding that Turkey aimed to ensure that more blood was not spilled in the region. “Iraq is wasting its time by fixating on Turkey’s presence in Bashiqa, when there are troops from 63 different countries under the name of fighting Daesh [ISIL] and other terrorist organizations,” he said. The prime minister stressed that Iraq’s reaction came ahead of a Mosul offensive planned in October. Yıldırım also criticized the central Iraqi administration for failing to take any precautions against outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) elements in northern Iraq. A resolution adopted by Iraq’s parliament criticizing the Turkish military presence at the Bashiqa base in northern Iraq does not represent all of Iraqis, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu also said, describing the move as ill- intended. “First of all, we don’t regard the statement of the Iraqi Parliament about the annually renewed motion in the Turkish parliament as well-intentioned. We very well know that this does not reflect the thinking of all of the Iraqi people,” Çavuşoğlu said at a press conference with visiting Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic. Recalling that Turkey had been renewing a motion granting authority to the Turkish army to conduct cross-border operations and to deploy troops in Iraq every year since 2007 because of “terror threats against the Turkish people,” Çavuşoğlu underlined that the scope of the authorization was broadened after ISIL began posing a threat against Turkey. “We wish that Iraq could provide for its own security and stability and not permit these terror organizations’ presence on their territories. Unfortunately, the current picture in Iraq and divisions affect its ties with regional countries,” he said. 2 Blaming former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for pursuing sectarian policies which paved the way for terror organizations like ISIL to find an opportunity to occupy Mosul, Çavuşoğlu said Turkey had to take its own measures to provide for its security against both ISIL and the PKK. “Still, we support Iraq’s fight against terror. The Bashiqa camp was not founded recently. It was established within the knowledge of the Iraqi government with the objective of training local forces against Daesh,” he said. Forces at the Bashiqa camp have killed more than 750 ISIL militants so far, added the minister. Officials from Baghdad visited the camp and provided financial assistance, Çavuşoğlu said, recalling that Turkey’s training efforts had become an issue as a result of problems within Iraqi internal politics. “Our stance is clear. We want a strong and stable Iraq. We attach great importance to Iraq’s territorial integrity and independence. The division of Iraq or instability inside the country is not in our interest,” he said. “We do not want to see a sectarian Iraq. We regard the entire Iraqi people as our brothers.” Iraq has formally called on the United Nations Security Council to convene an urgent meeting to discuss the Turkish military presence in Camp Bashiqa in Iraq’s northern Nineveh province, according to a Foreign Ministry statement issued. Ministry spokesman Ahmed Jamal said Baghdad had called on the Security Council to “shoulder its responsibilities vis-à-vis Iraq and issue a resolution that would halt violations of Iraq’s sovereignty by Turkish forces.” Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) said that Baghdad consented to the presence of Turkish troops in Bashiqa to train the Nineveh province’s Sunni volunteer forces. “Two training bases were set up in Bashiqa and Dubardan near Mosul to train the police and Nineveh province’s volunteer forces,” said Safeen Dizayee, adding that “the KRG facilitated the process.” He revealed that even “the [ousted] Iraqi defense minister, Khalid al-Obedi, had visited the Turkish military bases near Mosul.” Dizayee reiterated that the KRG “is not aware of any other program in this regard.” 3 Army: Turkey-backed forces take large area in Syria with operation Anadolu Agency, 02.10.2016 Ankara-backed Syrian rebel forces have taken control of around 960 square kilometers of land in Syria, along Turkey’s border with the country, the Turkish military said. Marking the 40th day of the Euphrates Shield Operation that was launched on Aug. 24, the Turkish General Staff said in a written statement that a total of 111 residential areas over 960 square kilometers of northern Syria had been cleared. Turkey has said the Operation Euphrates Shield is aimed at bolstering border security, supporting coalition forces and eliminating the threat posed by terror organizations, especially ISIL. The military also said a total of 1,657 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) targets had been destroyed by over 6,000 rounds of artillery and rocket fire since the start of the operation. Three special task force groups of the Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) seized control of the Uwaysiah, Tal-Atiyah, Jubban and al-Eyyubiyah regions on Oct. 1, the Turkish military said. Two FSA fighters were killed and eight others were injured during the Oct. 1 clashes. Almost 80 ISIL targets were also hit by Turkish artillery on Oct. 1, the statement said. Gun emplacements, small armed groups, three bomb-laden vehicles, four fortified sites with Katyusha rockets, nine sheltering areas and two headquarters were destroyed. Turkish jets also bombed seven targets in Turkmen Bari, Akhtarin, Ghaytun and Kuaybah, killing four ISIL militants. Seven buildings used as command posts and weapon emplacements by ISIL were also destroyed. In addition, coalition forces carried out four air operations in the Guzel Mezra and Suran regions, killing five ISIL militants and destroying four buildings. 4 EU launches joint border guard at Turkish- Bulgaria border Hurriyet Daily News, 29.09.2016 The EU launched its common border guard at the Turkish- Bulgarian border, hoping it will help keep people away from a bloc that is still struggling with political aftershocks from an uncontrolled influx of refugees and migrants last year. Overwhelmed by the arrival of 1.3 million people last year, the EU has focused on sealing its external borders. The new force is designed as a reaction to be deployed in any place seeing a sharp increase in immigration. “The establishment is a symbol of the EU, that is proving its efficiency in addressing the migration and security challenges we are faced with,” EU Migration Commissioner said.