It is "out of the question" for Turkish troops to stay out of the US-backed coalition and Iraqi army offensive to retake the Iraqi city of Mosul from Isis, the Turkish president has said.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's comments on Monday came as Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi announced that the long-awaited operation to reclaim the city has begun.
The small prescence of Turkish troops and Turkish-trained Sunni militias in northern Iraq has caused a major rift between Ankara and Baghdad. Turkey says the troops are there in the interests of both the country and the region's safety, while Baghdad claims they are an intrusion of Iraqi sovereignty.
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