Iraq's unity crucial for Turkey - Davutoglu
By Aynur Jafarova
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said that the unity of Iraq, whose relations with Ankara have been strained, is as important as the unity of Turkey, Todays Zaman newspaper reported on Wednesday.
Touching upon the recent tension between Turkey and the Iraqi central government, Davutoglu said he wished Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki had followed more inclusive policies in Iraq without excluding some actors.
"I wish he had followed a policy open to all parts of Iraq following the withdrawal of American forces," Davutoglu said.
Turkey's Energy Minister Taner Yildiz said on Wednesday that Turkey did not want to be involved in the solution of any problem between Iraq's central government and the administration in the country's north, Turkish news agency Anadolu reported.
"We do not want to be part of a solution to any problem between the central government and Northern Iraq. More precisely, we do not want comments to be made with reference to Turkey. And I would like to stress that energy issues should be evaluated carefully in this respect," Yildiz said at a meeting as part of a conference of Turkish ambassadors held in the Turkish capital Ankara.
Prime Minister al-Maliki has accused Turkey of provoking feud between the Sunnis and the Shias, Azerbaijani news website vesti.az said Wednesday. According to al-Maliki, demonstrations of Sunnis are the result of intervention to the domestic policy of Iraq by Turkey and the Kurds, who want to politicize the situation and add a sectarian coloring to it for splitting Iraq, the report said.
Tens of thousands of Iraqis are holding mass demonstrations against the country's Prime Minister, Al Jazeera reported.
The protesters -- taking to the streets in major provinces of the country, particularly in Anbar and Samarra -- are reportedly demanding release of political prisoners and protection of the freedoms and rights of the Sunni population of the country. They are also said to have accused al-Maliki of "cowardice" and urged him to stop what they believe is Iran-oriented domestic and foreign policy.