Joint Statement by President Erdoğan, Iraqi PM Abadi

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President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar Al-Abadi held a joint press conference following the meeting at the Presidential Palace in Turkey's capital Ankara yesterday (October 25).

Abadi said, "Unfortunately, we are a part of an unstable and suffering geography. We believe now the time has come to overcome the sufferings".

President Erdoğan stated that regional issues, and steps to be taken in the fields of military, politics and economy were discussed in the meeting.

"We stand with territorial integrity of Iraq"

Speaking first in the joint conference, Erdoğan briefly said:

"Sensitivities in our region are well known to you. We worked through our inter-delegational meetings. We discussed what sort of steps to take in the fields of military, politics and economy were discussed in the meeting.

"Our attitude towards Kurdistan Regional Government's illegitimate independence referendum was obvious. We reiterated it without changing our attitutde. We expressed that we take side with Iraq's territorial integrity and we will continue to express it".

Abadi: "Our duty is to maintain integral territory of Iraq"

"Our Iraqi brothers and sisters have fought with courage and self-confidence. Indeed, some of our young people fight for Hashd al-Shaabi.

"Our duty is to maintain integral territory of Iraq. [Our duty is] to fight all terror organizations that don't threat Iraq only but the whole region". (AS/TK)