Hashd al-Sha’abi calls on Erdogan to stop meddling in Iraq

Iraqi group Popular Mobilization Units has delivered a counterblast to the Turkish president who had called the volunteer force fighting Daesh a “terrorist organization” and part of Iran’s regional policy.

The group, known as Hashd al-Sha’abi by its Arabic name, has joined forces with the Iraqi government against Daesh terrorists.

Last November, the Iraqi Parliament approved a law, giving legal status to the fighters and recognizing them as part of the national armed forces.

Hashd al-Sha’abi fighters wave the victory sign on board a pickup truck on their way to Tal Afar airport in the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar on November 20, 2016. (Photo by AFP)
On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made incendiary remarks about the fighters in an interview with Doha-based al-Jazeera television channel, calling the group a terrorist organization supported by Iran.

“Who are the Hashd al-Sha’abi? Who is backing them? The Iraqi Parliament supports Hashd al-Sha’abi, but, honestly, they are a terrorist organization and should be known who stands behind it,” he said before adding he believed that the fighters were part of a “Persian expansion policy.”

The accusations prompted Hashd al-Sha’abi spokesman Ahmad al-Assadi to issue an angry reposte on Sunday, saying Erodgan had clearly targeted the Arab country and its leadership.

“Who has given Erdogan the right to intervene in Iraq’s internal affairs? Iraq is a democratic country with institutions elected by its people. No one has the right to intervene in Iraq’s domestic affairs,” he said.