Iraq calls on Turkey to withdraw forces as precondition for normal ties

First Deputy Speaker of Iraqi Parliament Homam Baqer al-Hamoudi, in a meeting with Fatih Yildiz, Turkish Ambassador to Iraq, has called on Turkey to respect the Iraqi sovereignty and never interfere in the Iraqi internal affairs, read a statement released by al-Hamoudi’s office on Thursday.

The second in command of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, according to the statement, has conditioned the normalization of ties between Baghdad and Ankara on the latter’s withdrawal of its military forces from Iraqi northern territories.

Turkey is an important and powerful country and its cooperation with Iraq as well as other regional nations is going to help guarantee stability in the region, said al-Hamoudi according to the statement.

He has also urged Turkey to take a daring decision and withdraw its forces from Iraq following the recent visit to Iraq by Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim whose travel to Baghdad was seen by many as Turkey’s efforts to mend relations with its neighbor.

Turkish deployment of its military forces in northern Iraq, has remained to be a source of chilly ties between the two countries.

2044**