A+ A-

Barzani's representative not to return to Ankara - Turkish FM

ANKARA, Sept 26 (KUNA) -- Turkey's Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday said that Omar Mirani, representative of Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government's Presidenat Masoud Barzani was asked not to come back to Turkey.
"If he was here, we would tell him to leave the country," Cavusoglu told the 24 Turkey.
The foreign minister that Turkey would take the necessary measures against whoever does wrong to the country, referring to a promise by Barzani last month to listen to Ankara's advice on not proceeding with the referendum, but he was "motivated by political calculations and held the vote (on Monday).
He added that the ongoing Turkish-Iraqi military drills aim to support Iraq's territorial integrity.
Cavusoglu also said that from now on, Ankara would talk to the Central Government in Baghdad, but would not close the Khabour border crossing with Iraqi Kurdistan.
The northern Iraqi region held an independence referendum yesterday amid regional and international warnings and appeals to postpone, or cancel it.
Earlier Tuesday, the Turkish media quoted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as warning that his country would shut off pipelines that carries oil from northern Iraq to the world, and ban Turkish tankers from crossing the Kurdistan region. (pick up previous) rs.amm.msa