FM Davutoglu visits Najaf and Karbala

On the second day of his two-day official visit to Iraq, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu arrived in Najaf early in the morning yesterday. Davutoglu firstly met with Shiite leader Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. Speaking to reporters after the meeting that was closed to press, Davutoglu reiterated his call for the prevention of sectarian clashes in the Middle East. Davutoglu then met Iraqi Shiite political figure Muqtada al-Sadr and told Turkish reporters after the meeting that they discussed what joint action Turkey and Iraq could take to prevent the regional problems from turning into sectarian clashes. "There are and there will be those who provoke sectarian clashes," Davutoglu said, adding that the difference of opinions between Ankara and Baghdad were not major and could be overcome through consultations. Later proceeding to another Shiite holy city Karbala, Davutoglu visited the tomb of Hussain.