Turkish Parliament Approves Extending Turkey’s Military Intervention in Syria, Iraq
ISTANBUL, (ST)-The Turkish Parliament on Saturday extended the Turkish military presence in Syria and Iraq for another year.
The provocative procedure gives the government of the Justice and Development Party the authority to persist in its flagrant interference in the internal affairs of Syria and Iraq and to continue its aggression on the sovereignty of the two countries. It also comes within the framework of Turkey’s continuous support for the terrorist organizations.
According to AFP, the parliament approved a one-year extension of an existing mandate to use Turkish troops in Syria and Iraq.
Using the existing mandate, the Turkish regime on August 24 launched an aggression on the Syrian territories by ordering its tanks and armored vehicles to attack the Syrian city of Jarablus under a cover by the US-led coalition warplanes allegedly to fight ISIS terrorist organization.
Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned the aggression describing it as a flagrant violation of Syria’s sovereignty and stressing that fight against terrorism can’t be done through expelling ISIS and replacing it by other terror groups backed by Turkey. The ministry also stressed that fighting terrorism in Syria by whoever should be done through coordination with the Syrian government and the Syrian Arab Army which has been battling terrorism for more than five years.
The bill was passed with support from the Justice and Development Party (AKP), the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). Only the Peoples’ Democratic Party (HDP) voted against, AFP said.
According to the Turkish Anadolu news agency, the new mandate will run until October 30, 2017.
The Turkish regime’s forces on December 4, 2015 entered Zleikan camp near Mosul in northern Iraq without an official request from Iraq or coordination with the Iraqi government. Baghdad described the move as violation of Iraq’s sovereignty.
Hamda Mustafa