Parliament speaker calls on diplomatic missions to respect Iraq’s sovereignty

Iraq’s Parliament Speaker, Muhammad Al-Halbousi, yesterday called on the representatives of some diplomatic missions not to interfere in issues that “do not concern them”.

“The duty of the diplomatic missions’ representatives in Iraq is to represent their countries and enhance bilateral cooperation,” Al-Halbousi wrote on Twitter.

“Some of those representatives have to realise this very well, and not to meddle and to respect the sovereignty of Iraq,” he added.

Al-Halbousi comments came after a row erupted between the Iranian and Turkish ambassadors over statements calling on one another to respect Baghdad’s sovereignty.

During the war of words, Tehran’s envoy, Iraj Masjedi, said: “We reject military intervention in Iraq and Turkish forces should not pose a threat or violate Iraqi soil.”

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“We reject military intervention in Iraq and Turkish forces should not pose a threat or violate Iraqi soil,” Masjedi said. “The security of the Iraqi area should be maintained by Iraqi forces and [Kurdistan] region forces in their area.”

“We do not accept at all, be it Turkey or any other country to intervene in Iraq militarily or advance or have a military presence in Iraq,” Masjedi said. “Therefore we believe the Turks must return to their international position and be stationed there, and the security of Iraq be maintained by Iraqis.”

The Turkish Ambassador, Fatih Yildiz, responded: “Ambassador of Iran would be the last person to lecture Turkey about respecting borders of Iraq.”

Yes, I have seen that. Ambassador of Iran would be the last person to lecture Turkey about respecting borders of Iraq.

— Fatih YILDIZ / أبو عشقم (@FATIHYILDIZ_MFA) February 27, 2021