28-03-2024 08:38 PM Jerusalem Timing

Maliki Slams Turkish Remarks: Show No Respect

Maliki Slams Turkish Remarks: Show No Respect

"We do not want to antagonize Turkey, or Iran, or America, or Saudi Arabia, or any other country, but what happened and the remarks issued by Turkey do not show mutual respect."

In the latest bout of a weeks-long spat between Iraq and its neighbor Turkey, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki criticized Turkey on Thursday for remarks he said did not show "mutual respect".
  
Maliki's comments came as Turkey said on Wednesday it would not extradite fugitive Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi, who is accused of running death squads and is the subject of an Interpol international Red Notice and whose trial in Baghdad is due to begin on May 15 after two delays.

"We do not have any problems with Turkey," Maliki told NRT, a Kurdish satellite channel, according to a statement issued by his office that included quotes from the yet-to-be broadcast interview.
  
"We do not want to antagonize Turkey, or Iran, or America, or Saudi Arabia, or any other country, but what happened and the remarks issued by Turkey do not show mutual respect."

These remarks come a month after Iraq and Turkey summoned each other's ambassadors to express their displeasure over a worsening row. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused Maliki at the time of stoking sectarian tensions between Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds, and of monopolizing power.
  
Maliki fired back, saying such comments "will damage Turkey's interests and makes it a hostile state for all."