TEHRAN, Iran
The chairman of Iran's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee denied on Tuesday that Iran had sent troops to Iraq to confront militants in the north of the country.
Aladdin Burucerdi, chairman of the parliamentary committee, said Tehran opposed any intervention in Iraq's internal affairs as the Iraqi government faces a heightened threat from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
"Terrorist group, ISIL, will certainly be defeated,” he said. “The Iraqi government and the people, they alone have the power to counter terrorists and they do not need external intervention."
Iranian media reported Burucerdi’s comments made during a meeting with Turkish ambassador Umit Yardim.
Iran is ready to cooperate with the Iraqi government if needed and is following developments in Iraq closely, Burucerdi said, adding that Iran and Turkey should develop their friendly relations. Yardım said the Iran and Turkey should increase cooperation.
ISIL, which already controlled parts of Syria, has extended its reach into Iraq by seizing the country's second city Mosul and taking near-complete control of Tikrit.
Iraq has seen a marked increase in sectarian violence between Sunni and Shia Muslims in recent months, which the Iraqi government blames on ISIL.
www.aa.com.tr/en
