.H.E. Prime Minister Dr. Haider Al-Abadi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hold a bilateral meeting, chaired over the official talks session

Iraq Prime Minister's Media Office
Wed, Oct 25, 2017

October -25- 2017

His Excellency Prime Minister Dr. Haider Al-Abadi met, in Ankara on Wednesday, the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, they have held a bilateral meeting and chaired the joint talks session in the presence of members of both delegations.
They have a comprehensive review of the relations between the two countries and ways to enhance cooperation and exchange of interests to the benefit of the two peoples and two countries, especially the fight against terrorism, water issues, oil and energy, border crossings, trade exchange, cultural and tourism cooperation.

President Erdogan confirmed the desire of his country to expand Iraqi-Turkish relations, support the steps of the Iraqi government in the face of the repercussions of the referendum, the unification of the country, imposing the authority of the state by its power and national will. He is stressing the direct deal with the Iraqi government, calling for activating the strategic cooperation council between the two countries.
The Turkish president added: We are pleased that you have won the victory against, getting rid of its bad consequences, stabilizing. We are ready to assist in efforts to support the return of IDP's in the liberated areas, the reconstruction and investment in all fields.
The Turkish president declared his country's readiness to set up a joint dam to address the water shortage and that the Turks are keen not to harm their Iraqi brethren while expressing deep concern over the presence of PKK and other terrorist organizations in Kurdistan as a common threat to the neighboring countries. He demands to counter that threat.

Dr.Al-Abadi commended president Erdogan for the hospitality said that: We have come to deepen the relations and discuss the issues that concern our country, as well as our region. The time has come to end the conflicts and wars that caused the loss of resources, the depletion of resources and the displacement of millions. Without these conflicts, our countries would be in better position, accepted opinion in the international community.

He added: what we have suffered from Daesh a dangerous, ugly and far behind Islam, which they pretend falsely and deceptively, they want to destroy the diversity that we live in and we are proud of, but we have managed and won in confronting Daesh by precious and dear sacrifices. We must work together to close the doors to the return of all the terrorists, I warned that this organization is very dangerous and if it gave an opportunity will return again to commit what is ugliest.
Dr.Al-Abadi added that: There was a project to dismantle the region, not Iraq only when they wanted to establish the borders of a state with blood, despite that we have not fought our Kurdish people our orders are strict not to confront. We thought good of the Peshmerga and ask them not to fight. Thank God they responded, unfortunately, it is a campaign of lies and counterfeiting, false allegations of existing of non-Iraqi forces in and around Kirkuk.
He added: we are continuing to extend the federal authority; it is my duty to preserve Iraq's unity, sovereignty and protect its resources.

He stressed that the popular Mobilization Units consists of Iraqi fighters and it's formed under the circumstances of the Daesh's attack, the occupation of our towns and the fatwa of Grand Sayyid al-Sistani. The PMU today is a part of the institution security for the state according to the law approved by the parliament, we reject the presence of any armed force outside the framework of the state And we will not allow the presence of any forces .we won't allow for any power to work on our soil against neighboring countries and this is a constitutional obligation we adhere to.

The meeting was attended by the ministers of interior, oil, planning, electricity, water resources, national security adviser and the Iraqi ambassador in Ankara, along with their counterparts from the Turkish side.

Media office of the Prime Minister
October-25-2017


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