Turkey’s Move to Invade Iraq ‘a Gross Violation of International Norms’

The deployment of Turkish tanks and troops in Iraq is a gross violation of international law, and is being carried out with the implicit blessing of the United States, according to Russian Middle East expert Boris Dolgov.

In an interview with Sputnik, Boris Dolgov, a prominent Russian expert on the Middle East, said that Turkey’s move to send troops to Iraq is a gross violation of international norms, one which was conducted with prior approval from Washington.

The interview came after Turkey deployed hundreds of personnel to a camp in northern Iraq’s Bashiqa region, located near the city of Mosul, currently controlled by Daesh, (ISIL/ISIS). Ankara has called it a routine rotation to train Iraqis to retake Mosul.

“Turkey’s decision to deploy its troops to Iraq and reluctance to withdraw them even after the Iraqi government’s demands is a flagrant violation of UN law and international norms as such,” Dolgov said.

He drew attention to the fact that neither the UN nor the international community reacted to Turkey’s troop deployment in Iraq, which he said confirms the inefficiency of current international legal mechanisms.

This widespread “indifference” is first of all caused by Washington’s disregard for international law, according to Dolgov.

“The United States is supporting these [Turkish] actions. It itself was the first to violate international norms by invading Iraq without UN sanctions, as well as bombing Libya and meddling in Syria’s internal affairs,” he said.

Dolgov said that he remains downbeat about the UN slapping sanctions against Turkey, given that Ankara is a NATO member supported by the United States.

“Right now, international laws do not work. This happened after the United States decided that it is the only world power and could do whatever it wants,” Dolgov pointed out.

He added that by violating international law, Turkey is actually following in Washington’s footsteps and that resorting to the use of force remains a major factor in global affairs.

On Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi gave Turkey 24 hours to withdraw its troops from Iraq before approaching the UN Security Council to have the matter reviewed. Turkey has refused to do so.

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