US Urges Turkey, Iraq to Focus on Daesh Amid Troop Dispute - State Dep't

Ankara and Baghdad should resolve their dispute on the presence of Turkish troops in Iraq and focus their efforts on fighting the Daesh, US Department of State spokesperson John Kirby said during a press briefing on Tuesday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Kirby explained that the United States believes it is imperative for all parties to coordinate next steps as the coalition against the Daesh prepares to oust the terror group from the Iraqi city of Mosul.

"We call on both governments to focus on our common enemy, which is Daesh," Kirby stated.

Kirby reiterated that Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider Abadi and the United States do not consider Turkish forces to be in Iraq’s Bashiqa as part of the anti-Daesh coalition.

Earlier on Tuesday, Iraq’s Alsumaria News reported that an Abadi spokesperson had declared talks with Turkey no longer feasible following comments Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made about the Iraqi leader.

During a speech at the ninth Eurasian Islamic Council on Tuesday, Erdogan said Abadi should know his own limits and that the Turkish army would not take orders from Baghdad.

Last week, Iraq’s parliament adopted a resolution protesting the Turkish military presence in Bashiqa, located about 19 miles northeast of Mosul.

The lawmakers demanded in the resolution that Iraqi authorities undertake legal and diplomatic measures, including a review of bilateral economic relations. Turkey has condemned the resolution.