Kurdistan PM affirms expanding Turkey ties in meeting with outgoing ambassador

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Sunday affirmed expanding relations in all areas, especially economic ties with Turkey.

The statement came during a meeting in Erbil between the prime minister and the outgoing Turkish ambassador to Iraq, Fatih Yildiz.

The two officials discussed the latest developments in Iraq and the wider region and ways to strengthen bilateral ties, according to a Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) press release.

Barzani highlighted the importance of strengthening relations between Turkey and the Kurdistan Region in various fields, especially in the economic sector, through coordination between the two sides based on mutual interest.

The Kurdish prime minister commended ambassador Yildiz for his role in strengthening relations between the Kurdistan Region and Turkey, wishing him success in his future posts.

The meeting comes after Prime Minister Barzani spoke on the phone Wednesday with Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu “regarding the terrorist attack on the Erbil International Airport and Bashiqa base.”

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The Bashiqa assault involved three rockets fired at a Turkish base camp, killing one Turkish soldier.

Barzani and Cavusoglu “strongly condemned the attacks and agreed to stay in close contact as an investigation into the incident continues,” a KRG statement said.

Bashiqa lies in northern Nineveh province, some 12 kilometers northeast of Mosul, in territory disputed between Iraq’s federal government and the KRG. Bashiqa fell under ISIS’ control in 2014, as the terrorist group burst out of Syria into Iraq, occupying a third of the country.

Two years later, Kurdish Peshmerga drove the terrorist organization out of the town, which is now under the control of Baghdad.

Editing by Khrush Najari