Davuto?lu's visit interferes in Iraqi affairs

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu Baghdad - Najla Salah El Dein A senior official from Iraq's State of Law Coalition has claimed that the upcoming visit of Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu to the town of Tuz Khurmatu, Saladin province, is a interference in Iraqi affairs. Ibrahim al-Rikabi told Arab Today that the Turkish official must obtain permission from Iraq's central government before visiting the majority-Turkmen district. Dozens of people have been killed and injured in bomb attacks on Tuz Khurmatu, east of Tikrit, in the last few months. The Turkish minister wants to pay a solidarity visit to the Turkmen living in Iraq. Rikabi said: "If the visit isn't within the diplomatic routes and norms, then it is an extreme ?interference in Iraqi affairs. The minister is not permitted to visit the district without the permission of the Iraqi ?government.? "This is an extreme interference in the internal political affairs of Iraq and its sovereignty," ?pointing out that "If an Iraqi official visits an Arab or Kurdish city inside Turkey, there would be uproar."? Rikabi urged the Turkish government to deal with its own internal affairs and calm the ?protests against the government of Ankara, before turning attentions to Tuz Khurmatu. He added that visit is against international practices, the regulations and laws of the UN and the ?International Security Council. The State of Law Coalition deputy criticised the Turkish minister's justification for the visit, claiming that "Iraq's stance to Davuto?lu’s visit should be the same as the previous visits by ministers to the Kurdistan region and the Kirkuk governorate, they are not allowed to travel to any Iraqi city or even ?Kurdistan without referring to the diplomatic norms. They have to respect the Iraqi ?sovereignty and government." On July 11, Davuto?lu met the family of the vice-president of Iraqi Turkmen Front Ali Hashem Oglu in Ankara. Oglu was killed in a bomb blast in the Tuz district in June. There was visible tension between Iraq and Turkey in August 2012 after Davuto?lu's visited the Kurdistan region, and Kirkuk, without permission from the central government.?