Turkey ready to mediate between Baghdad and Erbil

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu says that Ankara is ready to help to de-escalate tensions between Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) and Iraq.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, left, meets with Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al Jaafari in Baghdad, Iraq, (file photo).
AP

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, left, meets with Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al Jaafari in Baghdad, Iraq, (file photo).

A controversial non-binding independence referendum was held in northern Iraq in September 2017 that increased tensions in the region. 

More than 90 per cent of voters in northern Iraq were in favour of independence.

Turkish Foreign Ministers says that Turkey is ready to mediate talks between Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) and Iraq.

"Everyone should respect the Iraqi constitution and the decision taken by the Iraqi courts. If they want to search for their rights, they have to search for it in Baghdad and not anywhere else. There is a dialogue process. We are ready to make it easy and get a result from this talks." says Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. 

After the referendum, Iraqi troops took over areas disputed with the KRG such as Kirkuk.

And countries that are bordering the KRG including Turkey condemned the vote saying the referendum provoked more instability in an already unstable region.

Since Turkish troops who had been training Peshmerga forces against Daesh are still in Bashiqa Camp,  tensions still exist between Ankara and Baghdad government.

TRT World's Andrew Hopkins reports.

Loading...
Route 6