PM Barzani receives Turkish defense minister
The defense minister is expected to meet with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani as well.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Wednesday received the Turkish National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler in Erbil.
Barzani and Güler are expected to discuss the bilateral ties, among other topics.
The defense minister met with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani earlier Wednesday in Erbil.
Accompanied by Chief of the Turkish General Staff Metin Gürak, the defense chief arrived in Baghdad on Tuesday and met with the Iraqi top officials.
The defense minister is expected to meet with Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani in Erbil following his meeting with the premier, Kurdistan24 has learned.
Border security issues between Iraq and Turkey have taken center stage in the meetings Güler had in Baghdad.
Turkey and Iraq have had rocky relations in the past decades, largely due to the presence of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) which has been fighting Ankara since the mid-1980s.
Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani on Wednesday received the Turkish National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler in Erbil.
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Iraq has condemned Turkish attacks on suspected PKK members and positions inside its territory, citing the repeated aerial attacks as a fringe on its sovereignty.
Bolstered by its advanced drone industry, Turkey has ramped up its drone strikes in recent years, particularly in the urban centers of Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, to target suspected PKK positions.
Similar strikes in the past have also been blamed on Turkey, which have resulted in casualties, including senior PKK militants.
Kurdistan Region officials regularly call on Baghdad, officially in charge of border security affairs, to prevent the insurgents and foreign militaries from engaging in hostilities within its territory. Officials have voiced concerns about increased militia forces presence in the area.
Much of the conflict has been fought in the border areas of the Kurdistan Region, which has endangered the civilian population.
