Arbil

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi paid a one-day official visit to Ankara on Dec.17 to discuss with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan economy and security matters, including combatting the PKK and ISIL, the re-construction of Iraq, trade and energy.

Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi will pay a one-day official visit to Ankara to discuss economy and security matters with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as the central government in Baghdad and the regional government in Arbil have launched a joint effort to wipe out the PKK and other terror groups from the Sinjar region of Iraq.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu will pay a comprehensive visit to Iraq over the weekend with multiple stops in Baghdad, Basra and Arbil where he will discuss all the aspects of bilateral relations and regional developments, private broadcaster CNN Türk reported on April 25.

Baghdad and Arbil have requested Turkey’s mediation after tensions between the central government and the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) soared over the latter’s September 2017 independence referendum, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu has said.

A number of international carriers have announced they would halt flights to the Iraqi Kurdish region this week at the request of Baghdad, including Lebanese and Egyptian national carriers. 

Turkish Airlines has announced its flights would continue for now, as any formal request was not delivered to the company yet from Iraqi authorities. 

Iraqi soldiers joined Turkish troops for military exercises in southeast Turkey near the border with Iraq on Sept. 26 as the two countries coordinate steps in response to the Iraqi Kurdish independence referendum.

Turkey and Iraq will launch a joint military exercise on the Turkish-Iraqi border on Sept. 26 following an independence referendum in northern Iraq, the Turkish military said late on Sept. 25.   
    
Turkey started its military manoeuvers in the southeastern district of Silopi on Sept. 18, a week ahead of the referendum on independence in northern Iraq.        

Turkey is determined to take action if its national security is threatened, officials vowed on Sept. 25, as the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) pressed ahead with an independence referendum despite pressure and warnings from Baghdad, Turkey, Iran and the international community.

Turkey will not "embark on an adventure" but it will respond if its interests are harmed amid the Sept. 25 Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) independence referendum, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has said.

Turkey, Iran and Iraq have agreed to consider taking "coordinated counter-measures" against the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government's (KRG) bid to hold independence referendum at a trilateral foreign ministers' meeting in New York, days before the Sept. 25 vote in northern Iraq.