Turkish forces on Sunday opened artillery fire on Daesh targets from Bashiqa, north of Mosul, becoming first involvement in the liberating Mosul operation.
Prime Minster Binali Yıldırım said that the Turkish forces in Bashiqa camp joined the operation on the request of Peshmerga forces.
“The Peshmerga are requesting our help against Daesh and we are supporting them,” Yıldırım told reporters in Afyonkarahisar, where he presided over his ruling AK party's annual camp.
This is the first direct involvement of Turkish ground forces in the Iraq-led Mosul operation.
The involvement of the Turkish military became a hot topic between Ankara and Baghdad, as the Iraqi administration strongly opposed Turkey's army participation in the operation.
The statement from Ankara comes amid U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carters' official visit in northern Iraqi regional government.
Carter also visited Ankara and Baghdad this weekend to ease the tensions.
“Turkey should be involved in Mosul operation,” he had said in Ankara and expressed America's support to Turkey's fight against Daesh and PKK terrorism.
He reportedly convinced the Iraqi administration about Turkey's involvement in the ongoing operation for liberating Mosul.
Meanwhile, Turkish military in the Bashiqa camp had trained thousands of Peshmerga and Sunni Nineveh Guard forces since late 2014 to fight against Daesh.
All these forces also joined the Mosul operation.
