Nechirvan Barzani, Turkish Defense Minister stress the need to prevent the spread of conflict in the region
Shafaq News / On Wednesday, President of Kurdistan Region Nechirvan Barzani, and Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler stressed the need to prevent escalation in the Middle East.
The Kurdistan Region Presidency stated today that President Barzani received the Turkish Defense Minister and the Chief of General Staff of the Turkish Armed Forces, Metin Gürak.
During the meeting, attended by the Turkish Ambassador to Iraq, discussions touched upon Turkiye's relations with Iraq and Kurdistan, their mutual cooperation, the security situation in Iraq and the Region, and the latest regional developments and its implications.
According to the statement, both sides emphasized the importance of joint cooperation between Turkey, Iraq, and Kurdistan to maintain peace, stability, and border security.
The statement highlighted the development of Turkiye's relations with Iraq and the Region based on mutual interests, good neighborliness, and the latest developments in combating terrorism, ISIS threats, and other common interests discussed during the meeting.
The Turkish Defense Minister arrived in Erbil yesterday, where he was welcomed by the Minister of Peshmerga Affairs, Shoresh Ismail, and the official responsible for foreign relations, Savin Dizayee, at Erbil International Airport.
Yesterday morning, the Turkish delegation met with Iraqi President Abdullatif Rashid and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani. During the meeting, Al-Sudani reiterated his government's rejection of violating Iraq's sovereignty and settling scores between regional or international players on its soil.
He said that the security situation in Iraq and Turkiye is intertwined and called for expanding and intensifying the cooperation between the different security bodies in a bid to facilitate the establishment of development initiatives like the Development Road project.
The Turkish diplomats conveyed President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's greetings to PM Al-Sudani, emphasizing their country's interest in developing mutual intelligence and Counter-Terrorism efforts.
The two statespersons exchanged views on the situation of the besieged Gaza Strip and urged the international community and global powers to address the plight of the Palestinian people who have been under heavy Israeli bombardment since October 7, 2023.
During the meeting with President Rashid, the talks touched upon water and border disputes. The Iraqi president defended Iraq's sovereignty and called for halting the violations of Its territories. He said that "the disputes between Ankara and Baghdad should be resolved via specialized committees and dialogue between the governments."
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