Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani today met with Ambassador Murat Özçelik, the Turkish Undersecretary for Public Order and Security to discuss bilateral relations and current political developments in Iraq and in the region.

President Barzani reiterated that the KRG wishes to develop and maintain strong ties with Turkey and added that he is pleased for the progress made so far in establishing these ties. He noted that these ties will serve the interests of all Iraq.

Ambassador Özçelik, who served as Turkish Ambassador to Iraq until 2011, expressed his government’s appreciation for President Barzani’s leadership role in establishing friendly relations with Turkey.

The President and Ambassador Özçelik also exchanged views on the political crisis in Iraq, and developments in Kurdistan and in the wider region. They both underscored the importance of close cooperation and strong bilateral relations based on mutual interests.