Turkish foreign minister says Iraq PM ‘weak’

AFP, ANKARA: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi of weakness as tensions rose Wednesday after Ankara deployed tanks and artillery near Iraq.
Abadi had warned Ankara not to provoke a confrontation and said any invasion would see Iraq’s northern neighbour repelled after Turkey sent the 30-vehicle convoy to the southeastern district of Silopi on Tuesday.
The two countries traded barbs last month over Ankara’s military presence in Iraq’s north and its insistence that it would play a role in the offensive to retake Mosul, Iraq’s second biggest city, from the Islamic State (IS) group.
“If you have the strength, why did you surrender Mosul to terror organisations? If you are so strong, why has the PKK occupied your lands for years?
“You cannot even fight against a terror organisation, you are weak,” Cavusoglu added, quoted by the official news agency Anadolu.

Turkish foreign minister says Iraq PM weak

AFP, ANKARA: Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi of weakness as tensions rose Wednesday after Ankara deployed tanks and artillery near Iraq. Abadi had warned Ankara not to provoke a confrontation and said any invasion would see Iraqs northern neighbour repelled after Turkey sent the 30-vehicle convoy to the southeastern district of Silopi on Tuesday. The two countries traded barbs last month over Ankaras military presence in Iraqs north and its insistence that it would play a role in the offensive to retake Mosul, Iraqs second biggest city, from the Islamic State (IS) group. If you have the strength, why did you surrender Mosul to terror organisations? If you are so strong, why has the PKK occupied your lands for years? You cannot even fight against a terror organisation, you are weak, Cavusoglu added, quoted by the official news agency Anadolu.