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US Tries to Reconcile Ankara and Baghdad

The tensions between Ankara and Baghdad continue to increase and the US is trying to bring both sides together, writes Semih Idiz.  
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (R) shakes hands with Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu during their meeting at Ciragan Palace in Istanbul April 7, 2013. Kerry said on Sunday it was not up to Washington to set a deadline for Turkey and Israel to normalise ties but stressed the importance of restoring a full relationship between the two. REUTERS/Hakan Goktepe/Pool (TURKEY  - Tags: POLITICS) - RTXYBQF

Although it did not get as much news coverage as the Turkey-Israel or Syrian files, Ankara’s tense relations with Baghdad were also among the key topics discussed during US Secretary of State John Kerry’s talks with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Istanbul over the weekend.

Judging by what is filtering through the diplomatic grapevine, and what has being written about the topic recently, Washington is increasingly wary about developments in Iraq which suggest the country may be heading for a division that is bound to influence regional balances in favor of Iran.

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