Statement by H.E. Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey at the Expanded Extraordinary Meeting of OIC Executive Committee, 12 August 2014, Jeddah Statement by H.E. Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu at the Meeting of Turkey-CARICOM Consultation and Cooperation Mechanism, 18 July 2014, İstanbul Speech of H.E. Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the Conference on “International Development Cooperation: Trends and Emerging Opportunities -Perspectives of the New Actors”, 20 June 2014, Istanbul Address by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, at the 41st Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, 18 June 2014, Jeddah Speech Delivered by H.E. Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu at the Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement, 28 May 2014, Algeria Statement by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the 4th Summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, 21 May 2014, Shanghai Statement by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the Meeting of Group of Friends of the UN Alliance of Civilizations, 2 April 2014, New York Statement by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey at the OIC Executive Committee Meeting on the Latest Developments in the Central African Republic, 20 February 2014, Jeddah Remarks by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the Geneva II Conference, Montreux, 22 January 2014 Statement by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, at the 16th Session of the D-8 Council of Foreign Ministers, 19 December 2013, Islamabad Remarks by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the 29th Meeting of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation, 12 December 2013, Yerevan Remarks by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the 21st Meeting of the Council of Ministers of the Economic Cooperation Organization, 26 November 2013, Tehran Remarks by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the 12th Ministerial Meeting of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) Member States, 25 November 2013, Manama Address by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, at the High Level Segment Meeting During the 64th Excom Meeting of UNHCR, Geneva, 30 September 2013 Statement by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the Group of Friends Ministerial Meeting of the Alliance of Civilizations, 27 September 2013, New York Remarks by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the meeting entitled “LDC Graduation: The Way Towards MDG Acceleration, Sustainable Development and Structural Transformation”, 27 September 2013, New York Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the Global Counter Terrorism Forum Opening Speech by H.E. Ahmet Davutoglu Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, 27 September 2013, New York Address by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the 22nd Annual Session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly, İstanbul, 29 June 2013 Speech Delivered by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, at the 28th Ministerial Meeting of BSEC, 21 June 2013, Odessa Address by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, at the OIC Donor Conference in Support of The City of Al-Quds, Baku, Azerbaijan, 11 June 2013 Speech delivered by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Contact Group on Mali, 13 May 2013, Jeddah Statement by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the Somalia Conference, 7 May 2013, London Address by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the Third Ministerial Conference of the Istanbul Process, 26 April 2013, Almaty Address by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey, at the Third Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention, 9 April 2013, The Hague Statement by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the 24th Summit Meeting of the League of Arab States, 26 March 2013, Doha Speech Delivered by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, in the University of London School of Economics and Political Science, 7 March 2013, London Address by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey at the UN Human Rights Council, 25 February 2013, Geneva Statement by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey at the Ministerial Meeting Preparatory to the Twelfth Session of the Islamic Summit Conference, 4 February 2013, Cairo Speech Delivered by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, at the Ministerial Meeting of BSEC,15 December 2012, İstanbul Opening Remarks by Mr. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey at the Third Ministerial Meeting of the Global Counterterrorism Forum, 14 December 2012, Abu Dhabi
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  5. Statement by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey at UN Security Council High Level Meeting on Iraq, 15 December 2010
Statement by H.E. Ahmet Davutoğlu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey at UN Security Council High Level Meeting on Iraq, 15 December 2010


Mr. President,
Mr. Secretary General,
Distinguished Colleagues,

Before I start, let me take a moment to say a couple of words in remembrance of Ambassador Richard Holbrooke. Dick was a man of peace. He will be remembered for never taking no for an answer in times of crisis and for delivering peaceful solutions when all efforts had seemingly failed. We mourn the loss of a consummate peacemaker, a real statesman and a true friend. May his soul, rest in peace.

Mr. President,

I would like to thank the United States for convening this timely meeting and Vice President Biden, the Secretary-General and Foreign Minister Zebari for their important remarks.

We meet today in a time of global transformation. History teaches us that periods of profound change are almost always difficult and rarely tidy, and this is no exception. There are strong undercurrents of change and a new dynamism can be felt in international affairs.

As the prevailing realities of this new era emerge slowly but surely, the need to promote and bring about a restoration of regional and international order becomes ever more evident. During its tenure on the Security Council, while dealing with the many issues on the Council’s agenda, Turkey’s efforts have also been aimed towards addressing this overarching imperative.

Today, the urgency for restoring order is valid for our region and it is valid also in the case of Iraq.

After decades of turmoil, strife and suffering, Iraq today is at a critical moment. The prospects are bright and the challenges are many. By seizing the opportunity and making the right choices, Iraqi leaders now have it within their grasp to make a clean break from the infighting of the past and shape a prosperous future together.

Following much turbulence, we are very happy to see today, that Iraqis, from all segments of society, are once again coming together and working with each other through peaceful and democratic means to take charge of their common destiny and collectively chart a future devoid of oppression, fear or want.

This is the future for Iraq and it is the future of our region.

In moving forward, fundamental political concepts like inclusiveness, national reconciliation and partnership will continue to be crucial building blocks for ensuring a political framework within which democracy, human rights and the rule of law irreversibly take root.

On the other hand, gradually altering both the perception and language of politics in Iraq from that based on ethnicity and sectarianism to one defined by political parties and blocs is also vital. Such a major change will not only help do away with entrenched divisive rhetoric but also realign the political discourse along more democratic lines.

Mr. President,

The legislative elections of March 7 were a historic milestone for democratization and stabilization efforts in Iraq. Despite the risk of terror attacks, the Iraqi people participated in the elections with a high turnout. The determination of the Iraqi people in assuming ownership of their country through the expression of their democratic will was commendable. We believe the election results clearly represented the sovereign will of the Iraqi people and their hope for a united, strong and democratic Iraq.

I should pause here and applaud UNAMI’s role in supporting the conduct of free and fair elections. I take this opportunity to reiterate our full support for the Secretary-General and the UN, with UNAMI and Special Representative Mr. Melkert in particular, and commend them for their courage and excellent work.



Mr. President,

The results of the elections have also demonstrated the voters’ desire for change in the democratic process in Iraq. In order to make political progress irreversible in Iraq, it is crucial that the manifest desire for a broad-based Government is heeded by all Iraqi leaders.

Turkey welcomes the development that Iraqi political groups reached an accord on furthering the political progress. We sincerely regret that Iraq had to go through an eight-month-long political impasse which delayed the implementation of long-needed economic and comprehensive reconstruction programs that should aim to mitigate the daily problems of the Iraqi people.

It is now crucial to complete the political process with the establishment of a representative, democratic and effective national partnership government which rests on the power sharing arrangements, with full adherence to the political agreement that Iraqi political groups reached. We hope that such a Government can soon be formed.

During this delicate process, I visited Erbil and Baghdad on November 7. We worked really hard in encouraging all political leaders to reconcile their differences and agree on a deal which will expedite the political process. We welcomed the convening of the Iraqi Parliament four days after my visit and following the national reconciliation meeting in Erbil.

Turkey’s stance vis-à-vis the Iraqi political process has always been very clear. Turkey believes that all segments of the Iraqi society should participate in the political process and in an inclusive political dialogue, to pursue a concerted effort to find fair, just and consensual solutions for the challenges Iraq is facing in the political, security, economic and social fields, and to achieve national reconciliation.

There are important challenges awaiting the next government in Iraq such as the census, disputed internal boundaries, hydrocarbon and revenue sharing laws, constitutional amendments… etc. These challenges cut across all segments of the Iraqi society regardless of their ethnic, sectarian or religious affiliations. Thus, peaceful resolution of these issues requires a national consensus.

Securing consensus on all these issues will probably not be easy. However, such solutions will have greater chance of implementation once they are made. Turkey stands committed to work with the new Iraqi Government to help in any way that it can in addressing the challenges awaiting the Iraqi people.

Mr. President,

We are also pleased to observe that the violence in recent months dropped significantly. Iraq’s national security forces are assuming control over the country’s overall security. Efforts to rebuild the security forces should be bolstered and the international community should continue supporting Iraq for increasing the competency of its people in uniform. We continue to train, advise and mentor the members of Iraqi security forces.

Mr. President,

After two major wars and years of instability, Iraq has come a long way in rejoining the family of nations as a fully sovereign and responsible partner. The achievements to date are both impressive and encouraging. It is therefore high time now for Iraq to return fully to the fold.

In this context, we wholeheartedly welcome the resolutions adopted here today. By virtue of these important resolutions, Iraq is taking major strides forward in becoming a nation that is no longer bound under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter. To be sure, there are still some tasks to be fulfilled. Particularly, issues such as the border demarcation, compensation and missing persons and archives pertaining to Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait, still need to be addressed by Iraq. We are confident that Iraq will be more than up to the challenge. Turkey, for its part, is happy to be able to cast its vote to recognize the achievements of Iraq and lift the limitations that have been in place for too long.

This is a major accomplishment for Iraq and we commend the Iraqi Government for the hard work it has done so far.

In moving forward, we are confident that the new Iraqi Government will continue to take the necessary actions with a view to cementing stability within its borders and working together with regional and international partners to further enhance security on a larger scale.

Mr. President,

By virtue of this meeting, the decisions we have taken, the Presidential Statement we adopted and our national statements, we are essentially closing a sad but temporary chapter in Iraq’s history and ushering in a fresh, new era that is full of hope and promise. In a sense, we are witnessing Iraq’s rightful return to its former status as a fully-fledged sovereign member of the family of nations. This is a welcome development that must be applauded.

Turkey, as the only neighbor of Iraq around this table, has strong and deep-rooted bonds with Iraq. Our destinies have always been intertwined and they will forever continue to be. To be sure, there are still many challenges ahead for Iraq and for our region, which has already seen enough war and strife. But Iraq will not be alone to meet these challenges.

Iraq’s independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity are vital for the stability and security of our region and the international community. Therefore we are glad to observe Iraq’s great strides in becoming a secure, stable, prosperous and democratic country. Turkey will continue to support Iraq through thick and thin. The alternative is not only inconceivable; it is also realistically not possible.

Thank you.