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Turkey Withdraws Some Troops From Iraq


FILE - A Turkish military armoured personnel carrier drives past a small patrol base high in the mountains of Cukurca near the Iraqi border in southeastern Turkey.
FILE - A Turkish military armoured personnel carrier drives past a small patrol base high in the mountains of Cukurca near the Iraqi border in southeastern Turkey.

Turkey withdrew some of its forces from a camp outside the Iraqi city of Mosul, state media said Monday, as part of what military officials called a "rearrangement."

Turkish forces have been operating in Iraq helping to train local fighters, and earlier this month the military sent troops more to the Mosul area saying they were needed for protection.

Mosul, Iraq
Mosul, Iraq

That move angered the Iraqi government, which demanded Turkey withdraw its troops and threatened to take the matter to the United Nations. Two top Turkish officials went to Baghdad last week to try to defuse the situation, but Iraq continued to demand the new troops leave immediately.

Turkish state media said Monday's movement included 10-12 military vehicles as part of a convoy that was heading out of Mosul to the north.

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