Turkey urges KRG to correct planned stamp covering Turkish territory

ANKARA

The Turkish Foreign Ministry on March 10 reacted to a stamp planned to be issued by the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) on the occasion of the visit of the spiritual leader of the Catholics, Pope Francis, to Iraq.

“It is seen that among the commemorative stamps that are expected to be printed by the KRG on the occasion of Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq, there is also a stamp depicting a map including some provinces in our country,” the ministry said in a written statement.

“Some presumptuous KRG leaders attempt to use this visit to reveal their crude dreams for the territorial integrity of Iraq’s neighboring countries,” said the ministry.

How such “insidious” ambitions result in frustration will be remembered best by the KRG authorities, noted the ministry, referring to the independence referendum of the northern Iraqi administration in 2017.

Turkey expects the KRG authorities to make a clear statement as soon as possible for the immediate correction of this “grave mistake,” it added.

KRG tries to clarify stamp slammed by Turkey

The Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq said on Wednesday that it did not allow controversial proposed stamp samples to be printed.

KRG spokesman Jotyar Adel told reporters that artists submitted samples of proposed designs to be printed for Pope Francis’ visit to Iraq earlier this month.

He said none of the models have been approved and noted that "the design that will be approved for printing will be in accordance with the Constitution and the law."