Turkey wishes to play leading role to achieve a stable Iraq – Turkish FM

ARBIL / IraqiNews.com: Turkish Foreign Minister, Ahmed Dawood-Ughlu, who started an official visit for Arbil on Sunday, has expressed “his country’s wish to help Iraqi politically, though playing a basic role to achieve a stable Iraq.” Dawood-Ughlu said in a news conference in Arbil‘s Hospitality Palace of Kurdistan Democratic Party’s Vice-Chairman, Nichervan Barzani, that “the goal of his visit is to hold two meetings, the first in Arbil and the second in Baghdad,” adding that Turkey “wishes to play a major role to achieve an independent Iraq..So, we see that it is our duty to help Iraq politically.” The Turkish Foreign Minister has arrived in Arbil early in the day, leading an official delegation, comprising the Turkish Ambassador to Baghdad, Murat Uzjeliki and a number of Turkish government officials, and he was received by the President of Kurdistan Region, Massoud Barzani and its Premier, Barham Saleh. Dawood-Ughlu did not give further details about the topic of the two meetings, but expressed hope “to achieve security and stability in Iraq and the formation of a new government soon,” highly appreciating the “role of President Barzani in getting viewpoints closer among different Iraqi blocs, especially the Summit meeting, scheduled to convene in Arbil on Monday.” Dawood-Ughlu’s visit is taking place at a time scheduled to witness a meeting on Monday among the three leading positions in the Kurdistan Region and the Leaders of the Kurdistan Parties and the Kurdistan Blocs Coalition in Arbil later in the day, to discuss the recent developments related to the negotiations between the Kurds and the Iraqi blocs on the formation of the government, whilst a source in the Kurdistan Coalition expected that the meeting would witness the announcement of an official position by the Kurdish Coalition with a certain bloc to form the new government. The visit also takes place one day  ahead of a Summit meeting, expected to convene in Arbil on Monday among the Leaders of the Iraqi political blocs in Arbil to achieve an agreement regarding the distribution of leading State positions and the formation of the new Iraqi government. SKH/SR 2