Turkey

Turkey’s refuge of al-Hashemi risks trade ties with Iraq

Reports indicate that the Turkish government tasked a police unit with protecting fugitive Iraqi vice-president Tariq al-Hashemi and his family during their recent visit to Turkey.

Press TV has interviewed Sa’ad al-Motallebi, a political expert from Baghdad about the economic and political relationships between Iraq and Turkey after al-Hashemi’s visit.

What follows is an approximate transcript of the interview.

Press TV: How serious is this situation right now as far as relations between Turkey and Iraq? Do you think that we’re on the edge of more of a deterioration in relations between the two countries?

Al-Motallebi: First I would like to say that Iraq is very keen on having a balanced, cordial and friendly relationship with its neighbors – all its neighbors without any distinguishing between one neighbor and another.

Unfortunately on Thursday when Mr. Erdogan met Mr. Massoud Barzani, Mr. Barzani unfortunately discussed internal Iraqi issues and obviously had presented a very distorted picture of Iraqi events to the Turkish premier.

The Turkish premier then came back with very unfriendly, interfering comments in Iraqi affairs accusing the government using words that are far from diplomacy and far from the nature of neighboring countries.

We understand that Turkey is a neighboring country, but that does not give it any right to interfere in Iraqi affairs. We do not interfere in Turkish affairs. We respect the relationship between the two countries; we respect the historic relationship that we have with Turkey as we do with other regional countries.

So, who initiated the problem was unfortunately the Turkish side. And the Iraqi premier only reflected what the feelings inside Iraq were and accused the Turkish government or rather, the premier, of using unfriendly and undiplomatic language.

Press TV: What type of reaction can be expected out of Baghdad for the situation as we see it continuing to deteriorate especially after Turkey hosted – and some say are still hosting; some say not – but hosted fugitive Vice President al-Hashemi?

Al-Motallebi: I must concur with our colleagues (other guests) in that there is a regional pact that has been formed. There is a Sunni pact you could call it or a pro-American pact has been formed – the angles of this pact are Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The launch point started with Syria. There is of course on the map on the target of those countries.

But in relations to Iraq, Iraq has its own tools in dealing with this matter. There is a very large economic cooperation between the two countries. Turkish interests will definitely suffer here and we’re talking about billions of dollars that Turkey will lose in trade between Iraq and projects.

As everybody knows Iraq has a choice of reaching to other neighbors in the region or even further up in the European Union or the US in gaining this type of economic cooperation.

We have very strong ties with China, with Russia and Japan and other partners in the region. So there is no doubt about it, Turkey will lose definitely on a large scale on economic benefits that its gaining from Iraq; Turkish companies will suffer consequently to the actions of the prime minister of Turkey.

And more than that there will definitely be an Iraqi political consequence to that also, which Iraq is not a weak country anymore, Iraq does have teeth and claws and can hit back within the Arab League or within the regional strategies – the grand strategies, which are applicable in the Middle East.

Press TV: Do you think that the Iraqis are able to be strong in confronting this situation that they’re facing with Turkey?

Al-Motallebi: Iraq is very strong. Iraq has a democratic regime. Iraq has the most stable regime in the area. It is only natural that political parties bicker at each other and compete among themselves – you see this is any democracy. We can see what is happening in France now at election time; we see what has happened in the UK – political defer among themselves.

So, what is happening in Iraq is very similar. The only thing we are not used to having Iraqi personnel criticizing their own government and competing on political issues and political visions of the country.

Mr. Maliki said, by the way, on Turkey that Turkey is moving to isolate itself under Erdogan’s comments and with its policies. So, as your guest said, it is very likely that Turkey will become an isolated country surrounded by, maybe not hostile nations, but definitely unfriendly and uncooperative nations.

Returning back to the point… Yes, Iraq does have political problems, but these do not reflect on the work of the government of Iraq. The government of Iraq is united, works very well, works among themselves in harmony… you can see difference of opinion within the parliament, but that is a natural consequence of democracy.

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