Erdogan makes warnings to Al-Maliki

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan yesterday held a phone conversation with his Iraqi counterpart Nouri Al-Maliki to discuss developments in Iraq and make a few warnings. A statement issued by Press Center of the Prime Minister's Office says that Erdogan expressed his concerns over an irreversible chaos to be created by sectarian and ethnic polarizations following the withdrawal of American soldiers. Erdogan also reminded al-Maliki of the fact that as a prime minister, he has important responsibilities to ensure that government partners treat each other in a calm, prudent and gentle way. "Our prime minister also said that certain steps should be taken in order to decrease tension about the Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi issue. [Erdogan] has also reiterated to his Iraqi counterpart that it is vitally important to carry out trials regarding political figures in an objective way without politicizing the issue and putting pressure," the statement says.