Turkish government's statement which says it is ready to support the territorial integrity of Iraq not in word but in deed sounds like a threat, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said, assessing Turkey's recent statement.
"I think that that would – that certainly sounds like a threat on the part of President Erdogan. But I’m not going to comment on what he’s had to say," she said.
Earlier, Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced possible assistance to Baghdad for protecting Iraq’s territorial integrity if such a request was made to Turkey.
Cavusoglu's remarks came after Monday’s non-binding referendum on independence in Kurdish Regional Government (KRG)-controlled areas across northern Iraq, including areas disputed between Erbil and Baghdad.
