Turkish diplomatic convoy attacked in Northern Iraq

A bomb attack hit the convoy of the Turkish consul general in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul early on Monday but there were no casualties, an official said. The diplomatic convoy of a few vehicles was attacked on its way to another northern Iraqi city, Arbil, at 10 a.m. when bombs on the roadside were reportedly set off as the cars passed by. Following the attack, Iraqi authorities investigated the scene of the explosion. No one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, which left no one dead or injured but caused significant material damage. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu called Consul General Ozturk Yilmaz following the attack to ask about his well being and inquire about the incident. A Turkish official, speaking to Today's Zaman on condition of anonymity, said it remains unclear who carried out the attack or whether the target was the Turkish diplomatic convoy. "Investigation on these matters is continuing," said the official, adding that Turkish authorities have contacted their Iraqi counterparts to ask them to shed light on the attack and to step up security for the Turkish diplomatic missions. In December 2004, an attack on a Turkish diplomatic convoy also in Mosul killed five Turkish security guards. Monday's explosion follows a July 27 attack on the Turkish Embassy in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. One Turkish security officer was killed when the mission's guards clashed with the attackers as they attempted to enter the complex. Relations between Turkey and Iraq have been tense in recent years with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Iraqi counterpart, Nouri al-Maliki, exchanging bitter accusations over Iraqi politics. Turkey has accused Maliki of monopolizing political power at the expense of other groups and stoking sectarianism. Iraq, in return, said Turkey was meddling in its internal affairs. Turkey's close ties with Kurds in the autonomous north and energy deals signed by Ankara and the Kurds despite Baghdad's protests have also strained Turkish-Iraqi ties. The two countries' positions differ significantly over the Syrian crisis as well.