The interview came after Turkey deployed hundreds of personnel to a camp in northern Iraq's Bashiqa region, located near the city of Mosul, currently controlled by Daesh, (ISIL/ISIS). Ankara has called it a routine rotation to train Iraqis to retake Mosul.
"I would consider it an occupation which comes amid the re-division of the world. No doubt, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is trying to turn his country into a new Ottoman Empire," Glazunov said.
He added that "in the eyes of the Turkish political elite, this Iraqi territory remains an essential part of Turkey, which was cut off from Istanbul in the 1920s when the Ottoman Empire collapsed after World War I."
"Turkey is interested in annexing the northern territories of Iraq and Syria. However, Erdogan certainly got the go-ahead from Washington before ordering the troop deployment to the area," Glazunov pointed out.
He also said that Turkey is unlikely to take part in a ground operation in this region and that Turkish troops will be supported by Kurds who have been fighting for the past fifty years in northern Iraq.
"Most likely, these Turkish troops have been deployed to strengthen morale," Glazunov said.
He added that the Iraqi government has a legal right to respond to the invasion, but that Baghdad is unlikely to retaliate because of possible consequences.
"How can they respond? They are only fighting Daesh thanks to Iran's support and this alone helps them to contain the terrorists' offensive," Glazunov said, adding that he does not rule out a "hidden conflict" between Turkish and Iranian forces.
Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces, for their part, have pledged to take appropriate measures against Turkish forces if Ankara does not pull its troops out of the country by the deadline set out by the Iraqi government.
