Current Affairs: Turkey said it would pull its troops out of northern Iraq after US President Barack Obama urged President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to do so.
The Iraqi government demanded the “complete withdrawal” of Turkish troops from its territory after Turkey deployed soldiers and tanks to a military camp near the city of Mosul.
Iraq labelled the deployment an illegal “incursion” but Turkey said it was to protect Turkish trainers working with Iraqi forces battling the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group.
Obama asked Erdogan to take steps “to de-escalate tensions with Iraq, including by continuing to withdraw Turkish military forces”. He also urged Turkey “to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq”.
Between 150 and 300 soldiers and 20 tanks were deployed to protect Turkish military trainers at the Bashiqa camp near Mosul. Turkey began partially withdrawing troops.