US 'glad' for Turkey-Iraq talks on troops deployed near Mosul

WASHINGTON

The U.S. does not support any military development inside Iraq without the consent of the Iraqi government, a Pentagon official said Monday.

The announcement came days after Turkish troops were deployed near the Iraqi city of Mosul to replace training forces already in the area.

Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said the U.S. has encouraged both governments to discuss the situation "through appropriate channels."

The issue was also raised at the State Department where a spokesman said the U.S. was "glad to see" the Turkish and Iraqi governments addressing the situation.

"[We are glad] that there's an effort now to work it through dialogue and communication. That's the important thing," said John Kirby.

Turkish troops deployed near Mosul had been training Kurdish peshmerga fighters in northern provinces for two-and-a-half years.

Approximately 150 Turkish soldiers were deployed near the city Dec. 4 to replace training forces already in the area. In addition, 20-25 tanks were also deployed to the region.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi had described the infusion of troops and equipment as a violation of his country’s sovereignty and contrary to good neighbor principles.

The prime minister's office said Sunday that Iraq had the right to use all available options, including resorting to the UN Security Council, if the foreign forces were not withdrawn within 48 hours.