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Turkey, Iraq Work to Renew Ties

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari’s visit to Ankara last week suggests Turkey is trying to adjust its approach to its neighbors.
Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu (R) shakes hands with his Iraqi counterpart Hoshiyar Zebari after a news conference in Ankara October 25, 2013. REUTERS/Umit Bektas (TURKEY - Tags: POLITICS) - RTX14NP6

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said Friday, Oct. 26, during a joint news briefing with visiting Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari that Turkey always considered Iraqi-Turkish relations as a fundamental element of stability in the region.

Taking this as the principled guideline, though, it could be difficult to make sense of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP)’s harsh criticism of the main opposition Republican People’s Party leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu’s visit to Baghdad in August — almost with a tone of equating it to treason.

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