Turkish foreign minister meets Iraqi Kurd leader

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov (not seen) hold a press conference following their meeting on the efforts to ensure peace and stability in Libya on 13 January, 2020 in Moscow, Russia [Sefa Karacan/Anadolu Agency]

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu on Tuesday met Nechirvan Barzani, president of Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government (KRG).

The closed-door meeting took place on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland where the two leaders discussed heightened tensions between the US and Iran, according to diplomatic sources.

The death of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani in a US airstrike in Baghdad has marked a dramatic escalation in tensions in the region.

READ: Turkey launches new operation against PKK

During the meeting, Cavusoglu expressed Ankara’s solidarity with Iraq which is playing an active role in defusing tensions, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

He reiterated the need for all ethnicities in Iraq to work together for a peaceful future, adding that Turkey will continue cooperating with the KRG.

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