Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki on Friday called Turkey a “hostile state” and accused Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan of sectarianism, in the latest in a series of rancorous exchanges between the neighbors.
Maliki was responding to comments made by Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday in which Erdogan said Maliki’s “self-centered ways … are seriously disturbing Shi’ite groups, Barzani and Iraqi groups.”
“The recent announcements by Mr. Erdogan,” Maliki responded in a statement, “represent another return to flagrant interference in Iraqi internal affairs,” clearly trying to play politics on the emotional fears of his domestic audience.
“His announcements have a sectarian dimension,” Maliki added after accusing Turkey of trying to establish “hegemony” in the region. “To insist on continuing these internal and regional policies will harm Turkish interests and make it a hostile state for all.”
Regardless of his intentions, Erdogan was merely stating facts in his comments about Maliki, which were made after a meeting in Istanbul with Masoud Barzani, president of Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdish region.
The Iraqi strongman has been driving a sectarian quest for power in Baghdad, arresting and torturing his political opponents and trying to systematically marginalize Sunnis and Kurds as he is widely accused of consolidating a brutal dictatorship. To say Erdogan is being sectarian is absurdly hypocritical.
Erdogan is clearly midling in the interior affair of Iraq as well as Syria. He is taking sides with both Mr. Barazani and Al-Hasmi. On Bahrain he is silent. Mr. Erdogan is losing credibility fast. I think he should pay more attention to his domestic problems with the PKK and the Alawis in Turkey and give minorities a space to breeze and then sat examples for others. Erdogon does not condamn the terrorist a nd boming in Iraq. As for Malaki and Iraq I think it is better to let the Kurds have their own country in the north and let the Turkeys and the Iranians deal with them. The Iraqis can concentrate on building their country, they have plenty of oil and if the sinnus want to brake away with the Kurds, let them go. If they want to join hands as brothers to build Iraq, they are welcome. This is the solution for Iraq and the region. Iraq should build strategic relations with its neighbors. Leave the north for the Kurds and Turkey. Concentrate on the South and it is up to the Arabs, if they want cooperations fine, if not build relation with Iran and say bye bye Arabs.
LIES, LIES &LIES. This is your religion (Shia) built on. Shall we call it Tuqiyah. Khumini May Allah's curse be upon him stated "9/10 of our religion based on Tuqiyah". I am sure you are a Shia which I consider a dog tail for Iran. We all know that it's impossible for Sunnis to live under your rule. History repeats itself. You are well known traitors during the history of Muslims.
You helped the Tatar (Mongolians) to enter Baghdad and slaughter more than two million Sunni Muslims. You helped the Crusaders against Muslims. Now you are the protectors of Israel. You helped bring the Americans into Baghdad and destroy Iraq and slaughter Sunni Muslims. Many statements made by Israeli government, Hizbullah's leader Hasan Nasrullat " If Bashar Al-Asad regime falls then we got to face the Sunni Jihadist"
We all know the massacres committed in Syria against Sunnis with the help of Russia, Iran's revolutionary guards & Hizbullat's fighter is the preparation for the coming of your Mehdi (Anti-Christ). Please change your name to Iranian name because the name you are using is either fake or you don't deserve it. According to our prophet and the prophets before him Peace of Allah be upon them all, you Shia will be defeated before the western countries fall. Good luck and hope you live to see that day.
Maliki may be a hypocrit but he's right. Erdogan is an Islamist Sunni who hates Shia. Look at his actions toward Syria. He wants the Alawite dynasty in Damascus gone to replaced by his fellow Sunni who he hopes will be looking toward Ankara for tutalage and guidance on how to install an islamist regime while maintaining the facade of secularism.
Klyde. You are either an ignorant about history or I can say a planted Mosad agent. Al-Asad regime is the best friend of Israel. His father Hafez sold the Golan Height to Israel in 1967. They ruled Syria with iron fist. They horded the wealth of Syrian people. I am none Arab Muslim. I don't mind Urdgan being my president. In fact I don't mind being ruled by African ruler as long as he's a Muslim. For your information the Alawait sect don't believe in God, nor they belive in the holly books revealed to all prophets. Now you defending a regime made pact with the aparatheid zionist regime of Israel.
Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki’s charges against Turkey are very true indeed. Look what Turkey has turned into in less than a year. Erdogan’s policy of interference in Iraq, particularly its puppet role in Syria, its verbal bout with Tehran, and it’s acceptance of NATO missiles aimed at its neighbors are all indications that something is terribly wrong and that Turkey needs to replace Erdogan and do an about face.
Now Maliki is a strongman? Correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't there elections? So he is the legitimate President of Iraq while we had troops stationed there, but since we're "gone" he is a strongman?
Nobody "merely states facts" in international politics. Here there's evidently the goal of destabilizing. Unfortunately, these Moslems are their own worst enemies.
More Ridiculous BS from this website's "news" department…
Glad to see the readers commenting here aren't fooled…
I admire Erdogan as one of the few principled Middle Eastern leaders who has had the guts to stand up to Israel's apartheid, ethnic cleansing government. For that alone, he deserves kudos.
In a world where deadly force rules supreme, when Israel commandoes attacked that freedom flotilla and butchered 9 Turkey activists, the logical thing for Turkey to do would have been to send an armada of military to Gaza sufficient to open up the Gaza ports to international trade and teach little Israel it’s place in the real world.
Instead, Turkey did nothing. For surely all trade between Turkey and Israel is greater now and in the eyes of the world Turkey is nothing more then a tail being wagged by it’s head Israel.
I have no idea what all is involved in this rift between al-Maliki and Erdogan, but I can tell a western puppet when I see one. Erdogan is allowing Syrian rebels safe haven and has taken the US side for more threats of violence in Syria instead of giving the Annan peace plan a chance, while al-Maliki is fast becoming a Shia version of Saddam. As an American I can only hope that I am in a bad dream where my government has got us involved in a hellish conflict that they want to escalate which will only result in more bloodshed and death in the region.