Iraqi Foreign Minister Mohammed Ali al-Hakim received in Baghdad on Sunday his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.
The officials discussed bilateral ties and mutual cooperation and the latest regional developments. They tackled in detail the war on terrorism and terrorist groups on the Iraqi-Turkish border, as well as regional issues related to Iran and Syria.
"We spoke of the importance of the reconstruction of areas damaged by conflict and the return of Iraqis back home," Hakim stated.
Observers noted that Hakim avoided addressing during a joint press conference with Cavusoglu the presence of Turkish forces in Bashiqa and Nineveh or the Turkish military bases in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region – a key dispute between the two countries.
Following a series of meetings with high-ranking officials in Baghdad, including with parliament Speaker Mohammed al-Halbusi, the Turkish FM headed to the oil-rich province of Basra.
According to Halbusi’s office, they discussed economic relations, humanitarian cooperation, including the return of displaced people, and restoring stability in liberated areas. He stressed the importance of respecting mutual sovereignty and said Iraq rejects the use of its territory by opposition groups to threaten neighboring countries.
Cavusoglu also met Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi. According to a read out from the PM’s office, he told his guest that Baghdad wants to build “perfect and balanced cooperative ties with all neighboring countries.”
In Basra, the Turkish official reiterated Ankara’s intention to reopen its consulate in the province as soon as possible. The mission has been closed for five years.
He also revealed that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will soon visit Iraq.
Former Turkmen lawmaker Fawzi Akram Tarzi told Asharq Al-Awsat that Cavusoglu’s visit is significant given the historic and geographic ties between Iraq and Turkey, adding that it was part of the openness regional countries were adopting towards Iraq.
