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Turkey protest against Iraqi statements over FM''s Kirkuk visit

ANKARA, Aug 3 (KUNA) -- Turkey's foreign ministry Friday summoned Iraqi Ambassador in Ankara to protest against Iraqi criticim over Turkish foreign minister Ahmet Davutoglu's visit to Kirkuk.
The foreign ministry, in a statement, said it summoned Ambassador Abdulameer Abi Tabeekh and protested against statements by a number of Iraqi government officials regarding Davutoglu's visit to Kirkuk yesterday.
Turkey's foreign undersecretary informed Abi Tabeekh that Ankara has no hidden agenda with regards to its relations with Iraq, and that it was standing on equal footing with all political parties.
Davutoglu visited Kirkuk yesterday to mark the first visit by a Turkish official to Iraq's Kurdistan province in eight decades.
The Iraqi government was not happy with the visit and considered it a breach of its sovereignty. (end) mm.bs KUNA 032302 Aug 12NNNN