Turkey tightens its squeeze on Iraq - World - Al-Ahram Weekly ahram.org.eg - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from ahram.org.eg Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Iraqi official sources have reported an upcoming visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Iraq with the aim of discussing unresolved issues between the two nations. If Erdogan undertakes this visit, it will mark the first time a Turkish president has visited Iraq since Turgut Ozal’s visit in the late 1980s. However, Erdogan has previously visited Iraq twice as Prime Minister during the tenure of former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in 2008 and 2011.
Turks elected Erdogan president for a historic third term in office. His leadership will likely continue to irritate the West, but if Washington tries to understand Turkey’s concerns in its near abroad, they will overcome tensions in their relations.