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Turkey worried over Baghdad-Irbil tension

ANKARA, Nov 27 (KUNA) -- Turkey voiced concern Tuesday over the security tension between the federal government in Baghdad and Iraq's Kurdistan region.
Security and stability in Iraq are highly important for Turkey, foreign ministry spokesman Selcuk Unal said in press remarks, and added that Ankara was in contact with Baghdad and the Kurdish administration over the security dispute.
Unal hoped both sides would solve their differences through dialogue and constitutional channels.
He, meanwhile, said the Baghdad government's punitive measures against Turkish companies in Iraq would harm the interests of the Iraqi people.
Iraq's federal government and provincial government of Iraq's Kurdistan region reached yesterday an agreement in principle stipulating return of all military forces to their previous locations.
The dispute began after Baghdad command formed a new unit and assigned it to deploy in Diyala, Salah Al-Din and Kirkuk, a matter that angered the Kurds who sent the Peshmerga troops to outskirts of Kirkuk. (end) mm.bs KUNA 272207 Nov 12NNNN