Erdogan 'warns Baghdad' against liberation of 'Iraqi parts'

A senior Iraqi parliamentarian discosed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has warned Iraq's Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to hold back the Hashd al-Shaabi (Iraqi popular) forces from any operation to liberate Tal Afar.

"Erdogan has in a message to Abadi warned that if Hashd al-Shaabi advances towards Tal Afar, the Turkish forces will also be deployed in the region," Nahleh al-Hababi was quoted as saying by al-Mouqef al-Iraqi news website on Sunday, according to Fars news agency.

The Iraqi legislator, meantime, underlined that Hashd al-Shaabi has surrounded Tal Afar region from several fronts and would play the main role in the liberation operation.

In relevant remarks earlier this month, a senior commander of Hashd al-Shaabi underlined his forces' full preparedness to launch offensive against the Daesh bases in Tal Afar.

"Tal Afar is the terrorist group of Daesh's last base in Mosul. We have surrounded the city since several months ago," Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes said.

Stressing the importance of Tal Afar and its liberation, he said, "The Iraqi volunteer forces are fully ready to attack Tal Afar but the decision to start the attack is upon the General Command of the Armed Forces."

Mohandes said that 5,000sq/km of Iraq's territories have been freed from the Takfiri Daesh terrorists so far.
Turkey has from time to time intervened even militarily in the internal affairs of neighboring Iraq, assuming itself such a 'right' to intervene despite Baghdad's clear messages of objections.

EA