Russia slams ‘unlawful’ Turkish troops in Iraq

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has spoken by phone with his Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari to discuss the “unlawful incursion” of Turkish troops in northern Iraq, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

“The Russian side expressed its firm position in support of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq,” the ministry said in a statement.

Iraq appealed to the United Nations Security Council on Friday to demand an immediate and unconditional withdrawal of all Turkish troops from the north of the country. Baghdad said their presence was a “flagrant violation” of international law.

source: Reuters