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BAGHDAD, Oct. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Foreign Ministry on Wednesday summoned the Turkish ambassador to Baghdad over recent statements by Turkish leaders ahead of the imminent battles to flush out Islamic State (IS) militants from their last major stronghold in Mosul.
"The Foreign Ministry has summoned the Turkish ambassador to Baghdad to express condemnation of provocative statements made by top Turkish officials on Mosul," a ministry spokesman said in a statement.
The move came a day after the Iraqi parliament passed a decision rejecting the Turkish parliament's decision on Tuesday which extended the mandate of Turkish forces for one more year near the city of Mosul in northern Iraq.
"We reject the decision of the Turkish parliament which permits incursion of Turkish troops into Iraqi territories. The Iraqi government must consider Turkish troops as hostile occupying forces," said the parliament.
Moreover, the Iraqi Foreign Ministry on Monday rejected in a statement the recent comments by the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan over Ankara's willingness to join the battle of Mosul and the post battle arrangements.
It said that such comments "represent a blatant interference in Iraqi internal affairs and a violation of principles in bilateral relations."
Earlier, Erdogan said Mosul could be freed from IS militants but warned that Ankara had to be involved in any operation and be included in the decision-making process.
"Turkey cannot be left off the table. The others don't have such a border (with Iraq)," he said. "They may want us to stay as spectators but that decision is also going to be made here."
Hundreds of Turkish soldiers have deployed since 2015 in Bashiqa camp, some 30 km northeast of Mosul.
Ankara said that Turkish soldiers were sent to Bashiqa camp at the request of Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi to train local forces.
