We Don’t Want War With Turkey But Are Ready for It if They Want: Iraq

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November 2, 2016

On Tuesday, Turkish military sources announced that a convoy of around 30 tanks and artillery has been deployed to the country’s southeastern town of Silopi, located on the border with Iraq.

Turkey’s Defense Minister Fikri Isik said the measures were part of Ankara’s preparation for “important developments in the region.”

“Turkey is preparing in advance for whatever happens (and) this is one element of that,” he noted.

Photos provided by the sources showed a long column of vehicles, including tanks, tank rescue vehicles, and construction vehicles in single file on a dual carriageway.

Following the remarks, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi warned Ankara over provoking confrontation with Baghdad.

The latest developments are part of a dispute between Iraq and Turkey in which Ankara insists on taking part in the battle to liberate Mosul from ISIS, while Baghdad rejects the need for its help.

We Don’t Want War With Turkey But Are Ready for It if They Want: Iraq

Latest on the Battle for Mosul

Meanwhile, members of the Iraqi army’s elite forces, the Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS), have recaptured a village and a television station in Mosul’s eastern district, in their latest push to liberate the northern city from the grip of ISIS terrorists.

Earlier, Iraqi special forces advanced towards the more urban center of Mosul after entering the outskirts of the city in a bid to retake it from the Takfiri terrorists.

More than two weeks ago, the Iraqi army, volunteer Shia and Sunni fighters as well as Kurdish Peshmerga forces launched a long-awaited operation to wrest control of Mosul, the last stronghold of ISIS in the Arab country. Since then, the Iraqi forces have been advancing on the city on multiple fronts.

Dire Consequences of Turkey’s Claim on Mosul

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IFP Editorial Staff

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November 2, 2016

“Dancing with death in Mosul”, “Erdogan’s dizziness in the Middle East equation” and “reopening old wounds by the fantasy of the Ottoman Empire”; these are part of the remarks made by a number of Iranian MPs about Turkey’s paradoxical behaviour in dealing with Takfiri [extremist] terrorism.

Here’s IFP’s translation of a report by ICANA about the comments made by a number of Iranian MPs on Turkey’s recent claims over Iraqi and Syrian territories.

Ankara has announced that it has the right to interfere militarily in Iraq under the pretext of fighting Kurdish opposition group PKK. However, Rai al-Youm newspaper recently released a report about a “new map” published by Turkey’s governmental media that shows an expansion in Turkey’s borders to the northern Syria from Aleppo to Kirkuk. The new map also includes the city of Mosul and some Greek islands in the Aegean Sea.

The publication of the new map coincides with Erdogan’s speech where he deemed it necessary to change the Treaty of Lausanne. This treaty, signed on July 24, 1923, recognized the current borders of Turkey. Add to this the deployment of around 2,000 Turkish forces in Bashiqa base near Mosul which all indicate Erdogan’s desire to expand its borders around Mosul.

Iranian Parliament member, Seyyed Mohammad Javad Abtahi pointed to the formation of ISIS and Turkey’s recent actions and said, “The US had plans to create a country from Mosul to Aleppo; however, their plot began to fall apart thanks to the achievements of Syrian and Iraqi armies, Popular Mobilization Forces and the Russia–Syria–Iran–Iraq coalition.”

He added that Americans claim their share of Mosul operation because Washington, with the aid of Saudis’ media outlets, has shown a strong inclination to introduce itself as the saviour of Iraq, especially to the Sunni Muslims.

Abtahi appreciated the attempts made by Iraqi Prime Minister to preserve the territorial integrity of his country and said, “The ideology of reviving the decaying Ottoman Empire will breed undesired consequences.”

“Raising the claim that Mosul historically belongs to Turkey is pretty dangerous and can create new tensions between the countries in the Middle East,” Abtahi warned.

He stressed that Mosul operation progressed faster than expectations and noted, “Saudi media try to question the achievements of Mosul operation; however, the point is that Baghdad never carries out military operations on an impulse.”

Javad Karimi Qoddousi, another Iranian parliamentarian, said that Turkey seems to be puzzled by the Middle East equations; its behaviour is mingled with paradox and lacks a clear strategy.

“Ankara used to take steps circumspectly but today, it has become an impulsive Turkey making rash decisions,” he added.

Another MP Jahanbakhsh Mohebbinia, on the other hand, said that the fantasy of reviving the Ottoman Empire has wasted a colossal amount of Turkey’s social, financial and security assets.

“Ankara’s violation of Iraq’s territorial integrity is actually playing with fire and its flames will blow back to Turkey’s face,” he stressed.

Lawmaker Gholam-Ali Jafarzadeh referred to Ankara’s interactions with and its aids to ISIS and noted, “Turkey is now paying the price by grappling with terrorist operations and insecurity within its borders.”

Jafarzadeh stressed that Ankara is actually reopening old wounds by claiming that Mosul historically belongs to Turkey.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has never had any intentions for seizing other countries’ resources and it has always worked as a surgeon trying to remove the cancerous ISIS,” he said.

Rouhani’s Picks for 3 Ministries Win Lawmakers’ Confidence Vote

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IFP Media Wire

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November 1, 2016

After extensive debates during two Parliament sessions on Tuesday, Rouhani’s picks for the three ministries obtained the green light from the Iranian lawmakers.

At the end of the evening session, Reza Salehi Amiri, the proposed nominee for the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, received the vote of confidence with 180 Iranian lawmakers in favor, 89 against and six abstentions.

This as 193 lawmakers also gave their approval to Massoud Soltanifar, as the president’s pick for the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs. Some 72 lawmakers opposed him and nine abstained.

Fakhroddin Ahmadi Danesh Ashtiani also won a yes from 157 legislators, while 111 were against him and six abstained, to become the new minister of education.

Soltanifar is the current vice president and the head of the Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization of Iran; Salehi Amiri is the current head of the National Library and Archives Organization of Iran; and Danesh Ashtiani is a university professor.

In a letter to Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani on October 23, the president had introduced the candidates for the three vacant ministerial portfolios for votes of confidence.

The president’s move came after the resignation of Ali Jannati, Mahmoud Goudarzi, and Ali Asghar Fani as the ministers of culture and Islamic guidance, sports and youth affairs, and education, respectively, last week.

Badr Organization Announces Liberation of 5 Villages near Mosul

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IFP Editorial Staff

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November 1, 2016

According to a report covered by Al Alam News Website, Badr Organization’s brief statement mentioned that “our forces managed to liberate the villages of lower al-Gorn, upper al-Gorn, al-Amrini, al-Salmani and al-Zarka, located west of the city Mosul, from ISIS control.”

“ISIS fighters retreated due to the advance of our liberation security forces,” the statement added.

Earlier today, the Badr Organization announced that 23 families who were held hostage by ISIS as human shields were freed in the village of al-Gorn from captivity.

A Look at Iranian Newspaper Front Pages on November 1

By

IFP Editorial Staff

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November 1, 2016

Newspapers on Tuesday highlighted the election of General Michel Aoun, an ally of the Lebanese Hezbollah Movement, as the new president of Lebanon, and the end of more than two years of power vacuum in the Arab country.

President Hassan Rouhani’s meetings with new foreign ambassadors, particularly the new British Ambassador to Tehran Nicholas Hopton, also received great coverage.

Another top story was the parliamentary session due to be held on Tuesday to give a vote of confidence to three ministers nominated by President Rouhani.

The above issues, as well as many more, are highlighted in the following headlines:

Abrar:

1- US Secretary of Treasury Hold Talks with Zionists about JCPOA and Iran Sanctions

2- Michel Aoun Elected as Lebanese President

3- Amano Gives Assurance on Peaceful Nature of Iran Nuclear Program

4- Iranian Navy Commander: Over 10,000 Cargo Ships Escorted by Iranian Army’s Navy

5- Editor-in-Chief and 12 ‘Cumhuriyet’ Journalists Arrested in Turkey