Abadi: Iraq, Turkey agree on withdrawal of Turkish troops from Bashiqa
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region (Kurdistan24) – The Prime Minister of Turkey on Saturday arrived in Baghdad to meet with his Iraqi counterpart.
In an official visit to the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, Turkish PM Binali Yildirim was welcomed by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi at the Council of Minister’s office.
Iraqi PM Abadi and his Turkish counterpart held a press conference following a meeting attended by the officials and ministers of both countries.
The Turkish delegation, headed by PM Yildirim, included the Ministers of Defense, Education, Energy and Natural Resources, Economy, and Customs and Trade.
During the press conference, Abadi informed the two had discussed the presence of terrorist groups in Iraq and the Islamic State (IS) in Syria.
Moreover, the Iraqi PM pointed to the importance of increased coordination between Iraq and Turkey to eliminate terror threats.
“Our constitution does not allow any group to have activities against neighboring countries inside Iraq or to have bases in the country,” Abadi said.
“Iraq called on Turkey to withdraw its troops from the Bashiqa base and, the Turkish side emphasized its respect for the sovereignty and integrity of Iraq in this regard,” Abadi added.
The Turkish PM stated that “Turkey’s presence at Bashiqa base was upon the request of the Iraqi’s,” adding they would resolve the issue in a peaceful way.
According to a statement by the Iraqi PM’s office, Iraq and Turkey had agreed on several points, including joint efforts to fight terror and respecting each other’s sovereignty.
They also agreed to increase trade between both countries and expand cooperation on the management of the Tigris and Euphrates waters.
The Turkish delegation also met with Iraqi President Fuad Masum, Parliament Speaker Salim al-Jibouri, and other Iraqi political parties in Baghdad.
Yildirim will also visit the Kurdistan Region later and is expected to meet with top Kurdish officials.
Editing by Karzan Sulaivany
