Turkey determined to prevent Mosul operation unleashing 'blood and fire': Erdogan

Reuters
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends a joint news conference with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin (not pictured) following their meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, October 10, 2016. REUTERS/Osman Orsal

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey is determined to prevent a planned operation to push out Islamic State from the Iraqi city of Mosul from causing "blood and fire" in the region due to sectarian conflict, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday. Turkey is being "indecently" targeted on the issue of Mosul because it is upsetting the regional balances, Erdogan also told a judiciary ceremony in comments broadcast live. Despite objections from Baghdad, Ankara wants to keep the troops it has stationed at the Bashiqa military camp in northern Iraq until Islamic State militants have been driven from Mosul. (Reporting by Tulay Karadeniz; Writing by Ayla Jean Yackley; Editing by Daren Butler)