Al-Khazali to Gunay: The withdrawal of Turkish forces is an essential step to build bridges of trust

The Secretary-General of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq Movement, Sheikh Qais Khazali, stressed the necessity of the complete withdrawal of the Turkish military forces present in Iraq. The media office of the Secretary-General of Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq Movement stated in a statement: "Sheikh Khazali received in his office in Baghdad the representative of the Turkish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ali Riza Gunay, and the accompanying delegation, in the presence of the new Turkish Ambassador to Iraq, Anil Bora Inan." During the meeting, Al-Khazaali stressed the need to find real foundations of trust between the two neighboring countries, noting that "the Turkish military forces present in Iraq must completely withdraw, and that all lands must be under the control of the Iraqi forces, so that they can impose sovereignty and security on them." According to the statement, he clearly expressed his rejection of the so-called Iraqi-Turkish memorandum of agreement, which was recently signed, as it does not achieve a radical solution to the outstanding issues between the two countries. He pointed to the need to develop a comprehensive and serious roadmap to discuss the withdrawal of Turkish forces, as a basic step to build bridges of trust and achieve Iraqi sovereignty. He spoke to the Turkish delegation about the real capabilities of the Iraqi forces in controlling the borders through the experiences that took place on the Syrian border after the victory over the terrorist ISIS gangs," stressing that "these successful Iraqi experiences can be repeated on the borders between the two countries, in cooperation with the Turkish forces after their withdrawal from Iraq." For his part, Gunay expressed his country's "interest in strengthening relations with Iraq at all levels," stressing that "Turkey seeks to reach consensual solutions that preserve the interests of the two countries and enhance bilateral cooperation in various fields, including security." Source: National Iraqi News Agency