Iraq's former PM Maliki's remarks on fall of Mosul have 'no value': Turkey's MFA


Turkey's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Tanju Bilgiç has condemned remarks by Iraq's former Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, saying they were "unacceptable" and that it had summoned the Iraqi ambassador in Ankara to protest on Tuesday."There is nothing about former Prime Minister Maliki's remarks to be taken seriously," the foreign ministry said. The comments were "prompted by his sense of guilt stemming from having played a part in the invasion of one-third of Iraq by ISIS, the deaths of tens of thousands and the dislocation of millions," it added.The spokesperson also blamed the Iraqi ex-premier for the fall of Mosul."It is useful to recall that Maliki fled and delivered Mosul to ISIS within a day," he added.In June last year, ISIS militants overran Mosul, prompting Iraqi troops - who were heavily armed and numerically superior - to flee before the onslaught.Following the spectacular military victory, the group went on to capture large swathes of territory in both Iraq and Syria.Last month, Turkey agreed to allow U.S.-led coalition forces to launch airstrikes against ISIS positions from Incirlik, located near Turkey's border with war-torn Syria. "What happened in Mosul was a conspiracy planned in Ankara, then the conspiracy moved to Erbil," Maliki had said in posts on Facebook, referring to the capitals of Turkey and the Kurdistan Regional Government.