The Vice President spoke again today with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu regarding Turkey’s troop deployments in northern Iraq. The Vice President welcomed reports of the withdrawal of Turkish troops out of Camp Bashiqa as an important step to de-escalate recent tensions. The Vice President reiterated that any foreign military presence in Iraq must be with the full consent of the Iraq government. Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to Iraqi sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Vice President encouraged the Turkish government to continue its dialogue with Baghdad on additional measures to improve relations between Turkey and Iraq. The Vice President also reaffirmed the United States commitment to close cooperation with Iraq and Turkey in the fight against ISIL.
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