U.S. urges Turkey to respect Iraq's sovereignty in anti-IS fight

U.S. urges Turkey to respect Iraq's sovereignty in anti-IS fight

PanARMENIAN.Net - The United States and Turkey agreed Friday, October 21 during a visit to Ankara by U.S. Defense Secretary to ramp up joint efforts to deal Islamic State (IS) militants a "lasting defeat," a Pentagon spokesman said, according to the Middle East Eye.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter met with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Prime Minister Binali Yildirim, as well as Defence Minister Fikri Isik, on a visit to Turkey, a crucial ally in the fight against the IS group.

"Both sides agreed to maintain frequent communication on the full range of mutual interests, including close coordination and continued transparency in the coalition effort to deal ISIL a lasting defeat," Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement.

The U.S. wants Turkey to refrain from military operations in Iraq without the green light from Baghdad, fearing the war of words could jeopordise a fragile pact to keep rival sectarian and ethnic militias out of central Mosul.

Respect for Iraq's sovereignty is an "important principle", Carter told reporters on his plane en route to Turkey.

During talks, Carter reaffirmed his support for the strategic alliance between the US and Turkey and vowed Washington would "continue to stand side-by-side with our NATO ally against shared threats".

Washington is alarmed by tensions between Turkey and Iraq as the long-awaited battle to retake Iraq's second city Mosul from IS militants enters a decisive phase.

Turkey, which fears the Mosul offensive could boost the influence of Kurdish militias hostile to Ankara, says it cannot stay on the sidelines, but Baghdad is firmly against the involvement of Turkish troops.

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