PM: Iraq seeks better relations with Turkey

Iraq's relations with Turkey cannot be considered good and Baghdad would like to improve them under certain conditions, Anadolu agency quotes Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, as saying.

"Iraq seeks to improve relations with Turkey, provided that Ankara will not intervene in Iraq's affairs and not violate our air borders," al-Maliki said.

Al-Maliki said the fact that a person for whom the Iraqi government has made an arrest warrant is hiding in Turkey, harms relations between the two countries.

Al-Maliki said that Ankara is taking certain steps to improve bilateral relations, but it is not enough. Iraq requires respect for its sovereignty first.

Tension has been observed in the relationship between Iraq and Turkey in recent years. Earlier, al-Maliki said Turkey turns into an enemy to all states in the region because of its attempts to "dominate in it" and "intervene in the affairs of its neighbours".

In response, Erdogan said that Iraq in the first place should begin to sort out its internal affairs and then accuse the neighbouring countries of hostility.