SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi said on Monday Iraq opposes attacks on Turkey originating in its territory.
Kadhimi met with Turkish Defense Minister Akar Hulusi who arrived in Baghdad earlier on Monday.
The two officials discussed issues of common interests and strengthening military cooperation between Iraq and Turkey, according to the premier’s office.
They agreed on the importance of addressing “terrorist threats” along their shared border, Kadhimi’s office said in a statement.
They also agreed that stability in the border areas “would open the doors for more cooperation between the two countries,” the statement said.
Kadhimi stressed “Iraq’s rejection of any threat or terrorist activity targeting neighboring Turkey, originating in Iraq’s territory,” the statement read.
Akar, for his part, expressed Turkey’s readiness to provide support and advice to Iraq in the fields of combating terrorism, training and joint maneuvers.
The Turkish defense minister is scheduled to meet with Iraqi President Barham Salih and Interior Minister Othman al-Ghanmi, according to Daily Sabah.
Earlier on Monday, Akar said after a meeting with his Iraqi counterpart Juma Inad that there were close “ties beyond brotherhood between the two countries”, Daily Sabah reported.
“We can overcome the challenges in our region together … We can make our region a center of peace and security. We respect Iraq’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, well-being and welfare. Iraq’s political unity is a must for us. As we have always said, our only aim is to protect our people and our borders, live in peace and welfare within the limits of those borders while defending our rights and interests,” Daily Sabah quoted Akar as saying.
“Cooperation and coordination against the PKK terrorist group play a very important role. We are ready for every possible coordination with Iraq,” he added, referring to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
Turkey has conducted numerous ground and aerial cross-border offensives into neighboring northern Iraq to attack PKK fighters, who maintains bases in the region.
The PKK’s insurgency against the Turkish state is believed to have killed tens of thousands of people since being launched in 1984.
