Iraq's Allawi: "Like Turkey, other countries should stay out of Iraqi affairs"

It is very important that other countries follow Turkey's lead in not interfering in Iraqi affairs, said former Iraqi Prime Minister Iyad Allawi yesterday. Speaking at a panel in Ankara on last month's Iraqi elections, Allawi, whose Al Iraqiya bloc led the elections, stated that even while supporting Iraq's stability, Turkey has not interfered in the country's domestic affairs, and that Turkish-Iraqi relations are based on mutual benefits and the principle of territorial integrity.