Turkey troops in Iraq, violation of international law: Expert

Press TV has interviewed Zayd al-Isa, a Middle East expert in London, about Iraq asking the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to adopt a resolution to urge Turkey to end its “illegal incursion” and immediately withdraw its troops from the Arab country’s soil.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: The question I would like to ask you is that well clearly the territorial integrity if not the sovereignty of the Republic of Iraq has been violated and it is not the first time. But what took the United Nations as an example of the broader international community to react to this so late and belatedly?

Isa: Well it is clear that what Turkey has done is a blatant and a flagrant violation of international law and as well as also a major breach of the Iraqi sovereignty. It is a clear-cut case of a major breach and the Iraqi government has given ample time to Ankara to withdraw its forces.

Now Turkey has fiercely resisted and adamantly refused although it has been given ultimatum after ultimatum to actually withdraw its forces since they have entered Iraq without consulting, without informing and without being invited and Iraqi government has challenged them to prove beyond the shadow of doubt that they have actually requested their help and they could not actually present any evidence.

Now what I can clearly see is that although the US is now calling on Turkey to withdraw its forces but it is inconceivable that those Turkish forces which are part of NATO have actually entered Iraqi territory without the full blessing and consent of the Americans.

Let’s remember it is part of the US so-called coalition against ISIS (Daesh) which also includes Saudi Arabia and both Saudi Arabia and Turkey have been the ones undermining the effort against ISIS through the arming, through the financing, through logistical support and through even paying salaries to mercenaries converging on both Syria and Iraq and one of the reasons that the US-led coalition has spectacularly failed to actually be effective against ISIS and through its half-hearted efforts have actually enabled ISIS to expand and extend in both Iraq and Syria is that Saudi Arabia and Turkey have actually presented a veto, insisting that ISIS must be only contained, weakened while maintaining it as a credible threat against both Syria, against Iraq and use it later as a military arm against the Islamic Republic of Iran and also the US wants to utilize it to actually regain its waning influence and consolidate its presence on Iraqi territory. That is why we see the US at the same time actually intensifying its presence on the Iraqi soil through the so-called Special Forces.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk