Ankara won't abandon its "Turkmen brothers" in Iraq: Turkish FM

PanARMENIAN.Net - Ankara would take appropriate measures if life or well-being of Turkmens living in the Iraqi city of Tal Afar were in jeopardy, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Wednesday, October 25, according to Sputnik.

"We have always stood against sectarian strife in Syria and Iraq," he told a press conference in Ankara.

"This is a very dangerous situation, but the lessons have not been learned. We see that the Shiite militia are trying to get in Mosul. But Daesh should be fought by local forces. The ethnic balance in Mosul and Tal Afar should be carefully considered. If our Turkmen brothers n Tal Afar are in danger, we will not abandon them and will not stay indifferent."

On Tuesday, the Shiite militia expressed their intention to capture the city of Tal Afar, which is situated 50 kilometers from Mosul, and prevent the escape of Daesh militants to Syria.

On October 17, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi announced the start of a military operation to recapture Mosul from Daesh, with the help of airstrikes by the U.S.-led international coalition. According to local media, about 30,000 Iraqi soldiers and 4,000 Kurdish Peshmerga fighters are taking part in the operation.