26 October 2016•Update: 26 October 2016
GAZIANTEP, Turkey
Turkish troops should take part in the ongoing operation to retake Iraq’s second-largest city Mosul from Daesh, a commander linked to the Free Syrian Army told Anadolu Agency Wednesday.
Shihli Shihli, commander of the Sultan Murad Brigade, a branch of the Free Syrian Army, said he was concerned about Shia militias insisting on joining the operation to free Mosul from Daesh.
“Turkey should join the Mosul operation because it has very strong and experienced soldiers,” Shihli said.
He added Turkey had never made any demands about taking oil from Mosul.
“Iraq is an oil-rich country. But, we know that Turkey doesn’t demand [to take] any oil-rich soil in Iraq,” he said.
He warned that if the al-Hashdi al-Shabi, a Shia militia group, joined the Mosul operation, then the future of Iraq and regional peace itself could be in jeopardy.
Ankara has repeatedly warned about the risk of sectarian conflict if Shia militias are allowed to enter Sunni-majority Mosul. In other parts of Iraq liberated from Daesh, such as Fallujah and Ramadi, there have been allegations of Shia fighters mistreating Sunni civilians.
One week ago, Iraqi forces, backed by the U.S.-led coalition airstrikes, launched a much-anticipated offensive to retake Mosul, which was overrun by Daesh in mid-2014.
Reporting by Mehmet Akif Parlak; Writing by Hatice Kesgin
