Turkish PM says a 'friendly solution' will be found on Bashiqa camp in Iraq

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said that Turkey's Bashiqa camp in Iraq, which had caused a row between the two countries, would be resolved in a "friendly manner."

"We talked about this topic. This was not due to pleasure, it has been born out of necessity. We see that a significant step has been taken to clear Daesh from the region. In accordance with that, we will resolve this topic in a friendly manner," said Yıldırım in a joint press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Jan. 7, in Baghdad.

Daesh is an Arabic acronym for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Al-Abadi, on the other hand, said that an agreement had been reached with Turkey over an Iraqi demand that Turkish forces withdraw from the Bashiqa camp, Iraqi state TV reported, according to Reuters.

The Bashiqa camp in northern Iraq caused a rift between Turkey and Iraq, after the Iraqi parliament issued a decree for the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the camp.

Turkey trains local forces at the Bashiqa camp to combat ISIL inside Iraq.

Yıldırım said Iraq's sovereignty was "very important" for Turkey and that Turkey would not either be inside or approve an act that would danger Iraq's sovereignty.

Turkey and Iraq summoned their respective ambassadors on Oct. 5, 2016, amid bitter verbal exchanges regarding Turkish troops in the Bashiqa region of Mosul.

Yıldırım's visit came after Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan held a telephone conversation last week with al-abaci.

Commenting on clearing Iraq's Sinjar region of terror organizations, Yıldırım said "necessary work will be done regarding the clearing of Sinjar from terror elements together with Peshmerga and Iraqi central government...