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Turkey Pulls Some Troops Out Of Iraqi Camp


Some of the Turkish troops that were stationed in northern Iraq have left their camp near the Islamic State-controlled city of Mosul, state media reported.

"Some of the Turkish troops stationed in [the] Bashiqa [camp] have transited to the north as part of a new arrangement," Turkey's state-run Anatolia news agency said.

The Turkish prime minister's office had announced on December 11 that it would "reorganize" its military personnel at the Bashiqa camp.

The reports did not say if the troops were going back to Turkey or would be sent elsewhere in Iraq.

The deployment of the Turkish troops -- who moved from Iraq's Kurdish region to Bashiqa last week -- angered the Iraqi government, which said the Turkish troops had not been invited and should leave.

Turkey said the troops are training volunteer Iraqi forces that want to retake Mosul from Islamic State fighters.

Iraqi officials said they would involve the UN Security Council in an effort to get the Turkish troops to leave Iraq if they did not go on their own accord.

Based on reporting by Reuters, AFP, and AP

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