Turkey in need of support to influence Iraqi PM Maliki
It is reported that Turkey is trying to obtain the support of USA and Iran to influence Iraq’s Shiite PM Nouri al-Maliki to cease actions that could trigger a sectarian war in Iraq.
The Turkish Government is known to be conducting talks with the two countries to share with them the vitality of the situation and reflect the concerns of Sunni politicians in Iraq over likely hostile attitude from over Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
As reported lately, there is an ethnic and sectarian tension in the wake of the ongoing crisis over Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi and Turkey would be grateful to those countries for an effort to help calm the mounting tension.
Among politicians who have been deeply involved in said crisis Turkish FM Davutoğlu would certainly rank number one. In fact, it is reported that he had made conversations with Iraqi Finance Minister Rafia al-Issawi as well as with Iraqi Parliamentary Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi last week and also with spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi several times about the issue.
On the other it was also reported that Davutoğlu spoke to the US officials over the arrest of al-Issawi’s bodyguards, as well.
The idea is to raise the pressure on the Iranian side to use its influence on the al-Maliki administration as the crisis is “likely to trigger sectarian tension in the neighboring country”.
25.12.2012
BTT
