ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein told his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan on Sunday that the upcoming general elections in Iraq will be held on time. Iraqi officials have stressed the polls will not be delayed despite regional tensions.
The two met on the sidelines the extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit in Qatar, triggered by the recent Israeli attack on Hamas leaders based in Qatar.
"Mr. Fuad Hussein responded to the Turkish Foreign Minister's inquiry regarding the upcoming elections in Iraq, stressing that they will be held on schedule, with preparations continuing in full swing to ensure their success and strengthen the democratic process in the country," read a statement from the Iraqi foreign ministry.
The legislative elections, scheduled to take place on November 11, are taking place amid heightened tensions in the Middle East. Iraqi leaders have emphasized that the polls will be held on time.
Turkey has long supported Turkmen rights in Iraq and it often hosts their leaders in Ankara.
When a Kurdish mayor was appointed to Prde (Altun Kupri) sub-district of Kirkuk in July, Fidan's office released a statement, backing the Turkmen claim that the mayor should be a Turkmen.
“It is our fundamental expectation that our Turkmen kin are duly represented within Iraq’s political and state structures,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oncu Keceli said in the statement, noting that developments in Kirkuk are being “closely and sensitively followed” by Ankara.
Hussein and Fidan also discussed a range of other issues, including the ongoing peace talks between Ankara and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the "gravity of the current situation in the region and Israeli policies that represent a clear threat to its security and stability."
Fidan's office posted about the meeting with Hussein on X but stopped short of disclosing its content
