KRG offers joint Kurdish-Iraqi deployment at strategic crossing

Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government said on Thursday it has offered to deploy its troops alongside Iraq's to man a strategic crossing into Turkey. This would also be done in conjunction with the help of the US-led coalition that was helping fight Daesh.

The KRG's offer was disclosed hours after Iraq accused it of delaying the handover of the control of its borders to Iraq. 

The offer was part of a "deconfliction" proposal made to the Iraqi government on October 31, the KRG defence department said.

The other points included a ceasefire on all fronts, continued cooperation in the fight against Daesh and a joint deployment in disputed territories, which are areas claimed by both the KRG and the Iraqi central government.

The KRG "continues to welcome a permanent ceasefire on all fronts, deconfliction and the start of a political dialogue" with Baghdad, Erbil's statement said.

On Wednesday, the Iraqi Joint Operations Command  accused the KRG of using the talks that started on Friday to "buy time" to strengthen Kurdish bargaining chips. 

The Kurdish Peshmerga command also accused Iraqi forces on Wednesday of massing weapons and threatening force to resolve "domestic political differences."

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al Abadi ordered economic and military retaliation after people in KRG-controlled areas, including disputed territories, voted for independence in a referendum held in September that Baghdad had declared illegal.

Abadi insists that the KRG cancel the referendum's outcome as a precondition for any dialogue. Iran and Turkey also back Abadi's measures against KRG.

Iraq's entire land border with Turkey is located inside the Kurdish semi-autonomous region and has been controlled by the Kurds since 2003.