Turkish President Recep Tayyip and his US counterpart Barack Obama discussed coordination to lower tensions between Ankara and Baghdad over Turkey’s deployment of military troops north of Iraq. 

In a phone call December 18, Obama urged Erdogan to "take additional steps to de-escalate tensions," which have soared after Baghdad accused Ankara of sending troop reinforcements to a training camp near Mosul without its permission, a Turkish Presidency source said. 

President Erdogan affirmed his country’s respect of Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, adding that Turkish troops are in northern Iraq to combat Daesh.
 

Source: BNA