Nouri Al-Maliki stresses need to respect sovereignity and sanctity of Iraq’s territory to Turkish ambassador

BAGHDAD, January 19 — Nouri Al-Maliki, head of the State of Law Coalition, emphasized the need to respect Iraq’s sovereignty and the sanctity of its territory during a meeting with Turkey’s ambassador to Baghdad, Ali Riza Guney.

Al-Maliki stressed the importance of using dialogue to resolve outstanding issues and avoid the use of force. Al-Maliki also noted that the Iraqi constitution prohibits the use of its territory to attack neighboring countries.

A statement from Al-Maliki’s office read:

Nouri Al-Maliki, the head of the State of Law Coalition, received the Turkish Ambassador to Iraq, Ali Riza Guney, in his office [on Thursday]. At the beginning of the meeting, Mr. Guney extended congratulations to Mr. Nouri Al-Maliki on the occasion of the local elections and discussed the latest political and security developments regionally and internationally.

Mr. Al-Maliki emphasized the importance of strengthening bilateral relations between Baghdad and Ankara to serve the interests of the two neighboring peoples. He highlighted the successful local elections in Iraq and ongoing preparations to form local governments based on the electoral results.

Regarding recent events in Iraq and the region, Nouri Al-Maliki stressed the significance of adopting language of dialogue to address outstanding issues and avoid the use of force. He clarified that the Iraqi constitution prohibits the use of its territories to attack neighboring countries, while urging all countries to respect Iraq’s sovereignty and the sanctity of its territories.

The Turkish Ambassador reiterated his country’s support for Iraq across various domains, emphasizing the importance of joint efforts to overcome obstacles and enhance relations between the two countries.