Not only has Turkey never had any intention to intervene in the internal affairs of either Iraq or any other neighbor, but maintaining good neighborly and friendly relations with all its neighbors has been Turkey’s main objective, provided that there are no obstacles originating from these countries. Indeed, at a time when Iraq was going through its most difficult period, H.E. Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Prime Minister of the Republic of Turkey, accompanied by over ten Ministers, paid a visit to Baghdad in order to provide support to the Government of Iraq and 48 agreements were signed during his visit.

It is a fact acknowledged by everybody, particularly by the Iraqi politicians, that the Iraqi politics is presently in an atmosphere of crisis and that underlying this crisis is the political approach based on monopolization of power and exclusion of all others, instead of a politics based on democratic and universal values. It is also a fact that, underlying the misperception that has led Prime Minister Maliki to blame Turkey as the cause of the political crisis that Iraq, is this wrong political approach.

On this occasion, we wish to express once again that there is an eternal friendship between the peoples of Turkey and Iraq. Turkey rejects all kinds of ethnic- and sectarian-based political approaches both in Iraq and its region and supports the political approach grounded on universal and democratic values. We consider all segments of the Iraqi people as our friends and embrace them as a whole, regardless of which ethnic or sectarian group they belong to. As we have always emphasized, Turkey supports the territorial integrity and unity of Iraq and sincerely wishes that the Iraqi people, who have endured great suffering, attain real security, stability, prosperity and well-being without further delay.

Our recommendation to the Iraqi Prime Minister H.E. Mr. Maliki is to lean towards a political approach that embraces all segments of his people on the basis of democratic and universal values and respect for the Iraqi Constitution as soon as possible, instead of seeking out abroad those responsible for the political problems in his country. If he does so, he will see that he will be able to earn Iraqi people’s trust as well as Turkey’s support.