No: 265, 11 August 2014

We consider Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s statements of last night (August 10th ) which he made on the grounds that he was not assigned the task of forming the government by the President Fuad Masum, arguing that the Constitution has been violated and that the military, tribes and volunteers stand on his side, as a dangerous step which will further deepen the instability in Iraq. In this framework, we are also concerned with the reports that security forces have also been deployed around the Presidential Palace.

In this critical process, we call upon all the Iraqi leaders to give full support to President Masum, who represents the unity and integrity of Iraq as a constitutional state.

In this extremely sensitive period Iraq is going through, it is of vital importance that all Iraqi leaders, particularly Prime Minister al-Maliki, adopt an approach that will clear the way for the country and that they avoid a fait accompli which will further deepen the chaotic environment in Iraq. In fact, we believe that first and foremost all of our Iraqi brothers will oppose the efforts in this direction.

Turkey will stand by all the democratic powers in Iraq in this process and will continue to support efforts to establish, as soon as possible, a new and comprehensive government on the basis of the Constitution of Iraq.