23 October 2017•Update: 23 October 2017
By Emin Avundukluoglu
ANKARA
A senior opposition figure on Monday called for security at a Turkish military base in northern Iraq to be bolstered after Iraqi troops pushed Kurdish forces out of Kirkuk.
Ozturk Yilmaz, deputy chairman of the main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), said Turkish troops at Bashiqa camp near Mosul could need reinforcement.
“If the provocation of Hashd al-Shaabi turns into action against our soldiers, an urgent reinforcement of our soldiers will be important,” he told journalists at parliament.
Hashd al-Saabi is a largely Shia militia that has been incorporated into the Iraqi military and was deployed alongside regular troops in Kirkuk, where Kurdish fighters, including Peshmerga from the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), were forced to abandon the oil-rich region.
The Shia fighters have also fought against Daesh to liberate areas such as Mosul.
Yilmaz said Turkey should strengthen Bashiqa. “If necessary, it is essential to reinforce from the air,” he said.
The longstanding military mission has seen Turkish soldiers train Peshmerga fighters as well as local tribal volunteers.
Last year, the Baghdad government complained about the presence of Turkish troops at Bashiqa but the issue was later resolved.
The retaking of Kirkuk by Iraqi forces last week has been supported by Turkey, which, along with other regional powers and Baghdad, opposed a Kurdish independence referendum last month.
Although the KRG’s autonomy is recognized under the Iraqi constitution, territory including Kirkuk is disputed between Baghdad and Erbil after it was seized by KRG Peshmerga in 2014 as Iraqi forces fled in the face of Daesh’s advance.
Yilmaz called for Kirkuk to be given special status and for the province’s mixed Turkmen, Arab and Kurdish populations to have equal representation.
Referring to KRG President Masoud Barzani and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, he added: “Just as a Kirkuk under the control of Barzani caused trouble, now Kirkuk under the control of Abadi will cause further trouble.”
