Hashemi: "I feel indebted to Erdogan"

After a federal court panel has rejected Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi's request to have his case moved to Kirkuk, Hashemi said that judiciary branch was not free in Baghdad and thanked Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan for supporting him. Speaking to the Anatolia News Agency, al-Hashemi yesterday said that Turkey has been closely interested in the situation in Iraq and Turkey's continuous contacts with Iraqi officials aimed at finding a solution to problems have displayed the importance attached by Turkey to the region. "I feel indebted to Erdogan for making statements on my case. I told Erdogan two months ago that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has cornered me in the Green Zone, seized my office and even my house with armored vehicles and tanks and canceled my special guard unit. As a result, Erdogan specially dealt with my case," al-Hashemi said, adding that if the judiciary will not be free in Baghdad, it would not be right to be tried in Baghdad and I do not suppose a fair decision would be given in Baghdad.