No: 268, 12 August 2014

Nomination ofHaider al-AbadibyIraqi President Fuad Masumas Prime Minister on 11 August to form the new government is an important and positive development. We wish success to Mr. al-Abadi in his new tenure.

Turkey sees the resolution of the security crisis in our friend and neighbor Iraq in advancing the political process without any interruption.In this context, we welcome the stage reached for forming of a new government following the elections of the Speaker of the Assembly and the President after the parliamentary elections on 30 April 2014 as the steps taken in the right direction.

Forming the government in a rapid and an all-embracing manner will significantly contribute to overcoming the crisisthatIraq is going through and which indeed negatively affects the entire region.With this understanding, we call upon all Iraqi leaders to act in concilliatory way and to support the forming of the new government.

Turkey will stand by the Iraqi people and democratic forces in this process as it has done in the past and will support the advancement of the political process without any disruption.Following the establishment of the Iraqi government, we hope to raiseour bilateral relations to an exemplary level for our region throughy strengthening them befittingly for the historical friendship, brotherhood and kinship ties between our peoples.