ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Thursday ended his three-day trip to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, discussing a range of topics with Iraqi and Kurdish officials. Fidan arrived in Baghdad on Tuesday for the first time since becoming foreign minister, holding a meeting with Iraq’s top officials. He arrived in Erbil early Thursday and conducted several meetings with the Kurdistan Region’s officials and political parties. He held his first meeting in Erbil with Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani. President Barzani said that Turkey and the Kurdistan Region are bound together through shared economic and security interests, and expressed his gratitude for Ankara’s assistance and support to Erbil “across all sectors and especially during hard times,” according to a statement from his office. Fidan also met with the Region’s Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. “We talked about a number of important issues related to the region, including bilateral relations between Turkey and Iraq, especially between [Turkey] and the Kurdistan Region. We also discussed how we can export the Kurdistan Region’s oil, using the constitutional rights of Kurdistan, and the resolution of this issue with the federal government in a way that is in the interest of all sides,” said PM Barzani during a joint presser with the Turkish minister. “Regarding the security of the region, we assure you that the Kurdistan Region will practice its rights as per the constitution. It should not be the source of insecurity for the neighboring countries,” he added. The Turkish foreign minister said they discussed many issues, especially “the fight against terrorism, energy, economics, and trade.” “As you know, when Iraq suffered from issues in recent years, Erbil always remained secure and stable. We believe that it is important to maintain this security, stability and economic development. I would like to express that we are ready to provide Erbil with any support to maintain this,” he added. Fidan had a second meeting with President Barzani before returning to Turkey. Reporting by Bakhtyar Qadir
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