Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey received Sheikh Mahmoud al-Ani, President of Iraqi Council of Scholars, an independent institution composed of Iraqi Sunnites, and his accompanying delegation on May 22, 2013.

Emphasized that Turkey always follows the developments in its neighboring country Iraq closely, Foreign Minister Davutoğlu mentioned that Turkey pursue a religious sect-focused policy neither in Iraq nor in the region. Foreign Minister Davutoğlu underlined that Turkey stands by the ones who are oppressed or subjected to discrimination no matter whoever he/she is and this is an essential and indispensable characteristic of Turkish foreign policy from Syria to Myanmar, from Somalia to Afghanistan. Foreign Minister Davutoğlu said that Turkey’s Iraq policy is shaped by this principle and Turkey will continue to contribute to the peace and stability of Iraq through dialogue with all groups in Iraq.