Iraqi Defense Minister arrives in Turkey after Ankara bombing
The Iraqi Minister of Defense, Thabet Al-Abbasi, and Iraqi military officials. Photo: Earth News
Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – The Iraqi Minister of Defense, Thabet Al-Abbasi, accompanied by a high-level military delegation, arrived on Wednesday in the Turkish capital, Ankara, to meet with his Turkish counterpart, Yasar Guler.
The Iraqi embassy in Ankara mentioned in a statement that a reception ceremony will be held on Thursday for Al-Abbasi, who will discuss with Guler issues related to security and defense as well as bilateral cooperation in defense industries.
The Turkish army launched air strikes on sites of Kurdish militants in northern Iraq on Tuesday evening, killing some of them.
The Turkish air strikes followed an attack claimed by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in front of government buildings in the capital, Ankara, according to the Anadolu Agency.
The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced last Sunday that it carried out air strikes in northern Iraq, hours after the PKK claimed responsibility for the suicide attack that took place in front of the headquarters of the Turkish Ministry of Interior in Ankara.
Iraq condemned the Turkish air strikes, and the Iraqi President, Abdul Latif Rashid, said that Baghdad hopes to reach an agreement with Ankara to resolve this problem.
Turkey considers the PKK a terrorist group and regularly carries out air strikes in northern Iraq. Turkey also sent military forces and established military bases on Iraqi territories to support its attacks.