The visit by al-Tikriti, the leader of the Iraqi Islamic Party (IIP), comes at a time when preparations for the Iraqi parliamentary elections have been thrown into chaos by a row over whether or not to uphold a ban on hundreds of candidates because of alleged links to Saddam Hussein’s outlawed Baath Party.
Al-Tikriti’s visit offered a chance for Turkish officials to underline that Turkey has been maintaining an equal distance from all segments of Iraqi society. In line with this stance, Turkey attaches great importance to engaging in dialogue with all segments of its neighboring country, diplomatic sources said on Monday.
All groups who want to legitimately participate in the upcoming elections should be allowed to, so that the election results will be embraced by all, Ankara told al-Tikriti.
Back in November, Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (ISCI) Chairperson Sayyed Ammar al-Hakim also visited Ankara, where he had talks with President Abdullah Gül as well as with Erdoğan and Davutoğlu.
