Iraq summons Turkish ambassador over FM Hakan Fidan’s remarks

Iraq’s Foreign Ministry summoned Türkiye’s ambassador to Baghdad, Anıl Bora İnan, following an interview given by Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on CNN Türk on February 9.

Iraq’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed Hussein Bahr Al-Uloom described Fidan’s comments as an insult to friendly relations, interference in Iraq’s internal affairs, and a breach of diplomatic norms, emphasising that domestic issues must be resolved solely within Iraq, Caliber.Az reports via the Iraqi Foreign Ministry.

The Turkish ambassador explained that the minister’s statements had been misinterpreted in translation and referred exclusively to members of the Kurdish PKK (Kurdistan Workers’ Party) operating in Iraq, not Iraqi citizens. He reaffirmed that Türkiye respects Iraq’s sovereignty and refrains from interfering in the country’s internal matters.

In the interview, Fidan said that after Syria, an “Iraqi phase” is inevitable, stressing that the PKK’s structure should not be maintained and that the Iraqi government will need to demonstrate clear political will.

By Jeyhun Aghazada