Turkey Deploys Tanks, Artillery Along Iraq Border

Adding to concerns about tensions between the Turkish and Iraqi government, Turkey has deployed a convoy of tanks and artillery along the Iraqi border today, a move they say it meant to prepare for any potential “developments” in the region.

The deployment appears to be centered on the area around Mosul. Turkish President Erdogan promised to participate in the invasion of Mosul, but was spurned by the Abadi government in Iraq. This has been an ongoing argument between the two sides, and the deployment may suggest Turkey plans an involvement in Mosul, however unwelcome.

The deployment also comes following a recent spate of fighting with the Kurdish PKK inside southeastern Turkey, and some reports have speculated that the deployment could be intended as further force against the PKK forces on the Iraqi side of the border.

While Turkey has been fighting Kurdish factions pretty much everywhere for decades, the government has picked up its attacks against the Kurdish YPG in Syria over the past month, and also claimed a “natural right” to invade Iraq if they are threatened.