Kurdistan Region President Masoud Barzani met with Turkish Undersecretary for Public Order and Security Ambassador Murat Ozcelik and his accompanying delegation to discuss bilateral relations and current political developments in Iraq and in the region. According to the Kurdistan Region Presidency website, Barzani reiterated that the Kurdistan government wishes to develop and maintain strong ties with Turkey indicating the progress made so far in establishing these ties. He noted that these ties will serve the interests of all Iraq. Ozcelik, who served as Turkish Ambassador to Iraq until 2011, expressed his government’s appreciation for Barzani’s leadership role in establishing friendly relations with Turkey. Barzani and Ozcelik also exchanged views on the political crisis in Iraq, and developments in Kurdistan and in the wider region. They both underscored the importance of close cooperation and strong bilateral relations based on mutual interests.