Ankara, Baghdad keen to cooperate on border security

BAGHDAD – Anadolu Agency

The Iraqi government considers Turkey’s request to step up cooperation on border security as a “positive” development, Iraqi Justice Minister Haidar al-Zamili said on March 20.

In a statement, the ministry said Zamili had recently discussed the request with Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Yıldız and Turkish Ambassador to Iraq Fatih Yıldız.

“The Iraqi government views Turkey’s demand for joint border security in a positive manner,” the statement read.

“Political and security developments in the region require new agreements, including [agreements on] the sovereignty rights of neighboring countries,” it added.

Yıldız, for his part, voiced Turkey’s readiness to “fight against terrorism and cooperate on [the issue of] both countries’ sovereignty.”