LOC20:48
17:48 GMT
ANKARA, Sept 23 (KUNA) -- Turkish and Iraqi chiefs of staff on Saturday have emphasized the necessity of safeguarding Iraq's territorial unity,as well as joint combat against terrorist groups.
The Turkish General Staff said in a statement that Hulusi Akar and his Iraqi counterpart, Othman Al-Ghanimi, stressed the necessity of commonly fighting terrorist groups, namely the so-called Islamic State (IS) and the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), at a meeting in Turkey today.
Talks between the two senior military chiefs dealt with the separation referendum, planned by Iraqi Kurdistan on Monday and coordination for safeguarding the borders, and regional stability, the statement said.
Today's meeting coincided with an extraordinary session by the Turkish parliament for extending a mandate for the Turkish forces to launch military operations in Syria and Iraq.
Turkish Army, earlier today, declared stepping up level of maneuvers, launched on Monday, in a border area with neighboring Iraq.
The army has also dispatched reinforcements to border regions with Syria.
Turkey has vehemently rejected any bid by the Kurds to establish an independent entity.
In August 2016, Ankara declared that its army launched the "Euphrates Shield" military operation in northern Syria, thwarting a bid by Syrian Kurds to establish an independent mini state after Kurdish forces gained ground and appeared ready to advance west of the Euphrates. (end)
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