Iraq should expel Turkish troops militarily: Analyst

Press TV has interviewed Mike Harris, an editor with the Veterans Today, in Oregon, on the recent tensions between Iraq and Turkey.

The following is a rough transcription of the interview.

Press TV: Do you think that Turkey’s actions would see the United States and NATO turn on their ally and stop supporting it?

Harris: Well, I hope so. I think what Turkey is doing is clearly an act of aggression. And I think that the Iraqi prime minister is correct that Turkey needs to respect the sovereignty of Iraq.

I don’t think that the diplomatic moves are going to be effective. I think the Iraqis are going to have to physically expel them by military force. And I think they should do it sooner rather than later, because Turkey has announced their plans to move up to 14,000 troops into Iraq. And it will be much more difficult the more troops they have.

Press TV: Do you think what Turkey is doing is pursuing a bigger agenda, trying to intimidate and provoke Russia perhaps and instigate another world war?

Harris: Well, I would like to think not, but the West has been clamoring for a world war here for some time. You have elements within the US government and administration, particularly Chairman of the Senate Armed Service Committee Senator John McCain, who is calling for an increased US presence in Iraq as well, when the Iraqis have clearly said, ‘We don’t want US troops or we don’t need US troops here.’

And as a US citizen, our servicemen put over there again, it’s enough already.

Press TV: We’re seeing Iraq now take up the situation to the UN Security Council, given that the UN Security Council were very quick to criticize Russian troops in Ukraine without proof of their presence, do you think it will be a priority for the UN Security Council to take the matter? And Erdogan seemed very hopeful about the response of the UN Security Council. He seemed to know that the UN is going to actually vote in favor of Ankara.

Harris: I don’t see how they could, because Ankara is going out in their… usurping territory from another country. I know that Turkey has larger plans that they wish to expand their territory and seize portions of Iraq and portions of Syria as well.

Turkey is also guilty of supporting the ISIS terrorists and of buying the stolen oil from both those countries. Turkey has a very large financial interest in keeping turmoil going the region.

I think Turkey needs to be sanctioned. I think everyone should quit doing business with them globally, just cut them off, no more trade either way, don’t buy or sell, anything with Turkey at all.

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