Iraq

Turkey’s prime minister has claimed the main opposition party is putting the lives of the 49 Turkish hostages in Mosul at risk through their provocative statements, in response to their criticism of the government’s stance on remaining silent over the issue.

Kurdish forces attacked Islamic State fighters on Aug. 6 just 40 kilometers southwest of the Kurdish regional capital of Arbil in northern Iraq, a senior Kurdish official told Reuters.

Turkey’s gold imports plummeted by 94 percent on a monthly basis to 1.45 tons due to Ramadan and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East that steeply curbed demand, according to new figures.

The country bought 24 tons of gold in June 2013 and 37 tons of gold in July last year, according to figures announced by the Borsa Istanbul Precious Metals and Diamond Market on Aug. 6

The U.N. Security Council on Aug. 5 condemned attacks by jihadists in northern Iraq, warning those responsible could face trial for crimes against humanity, amid fears the besieged Yazidi minority could be wiped out.

Turkish officials and Iraqi Kurds have discussed the escalating threat posed by the Islamic State in Syria and the Levant (ISIL) in the neighboring country, as the jihadist group has been extending control in northwestern Iraq, forcing thousands of Iraqi citizens to leave their homes.

The main opposition party has submitted a motion of no confidence against Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu on the basis that he has failed to fulfill his responsibilities over the Turkish hostage crisis.
 

Iran is trying to work with Iraqi factions for a replacement for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki to form a new government in Baghdad but there are few suitable candidates, a senior Iranian official said on Tuesday.
   

Vučić's letter "condemns ISIL, supports Iraq"

BELGRADE -- Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić on Tuesday sent a letter of support to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

In it, he spoke against "the unlawful and aggressive operations carried out by the extremist organization Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL)."

BELGRADE - Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic sent a letter of support to Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Tuesday against the unlawful and aggressive operations carried out by the extremist organization Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Forty children from northern Iraq's Yazidi minority are reported to have died as a result of a jihadist attack on the Sinjar region, the United Nations Children's Fund said Aug. 5.