Turkey's top diplomat hopes peace ensured in Iraq soon

By Nilay Kar Onum

ISTANBUL (AA) – Turkey’s foreign minister voiced Thursday hope to his Iraqi counterpart that peace and stability are ensured quickly in the country rocked by anti-government protests.

Mevlut Cavusoglu and Mohamed Ali Alhakim met on the sidelines of the 6th Istanbul Mediation Conference, which brought together policy-makers, diplomats, international organizations and NGOs in Istanbul to discuss the practice of mediation as well as the connection between emerging technologies and peace efforts.

Posting on Twitter after the meeting, Cavusoglu wrote, “Conveyed our wish that well-deserved peace and stability are ensured quickly in Iraq in line with the legitimate expectations of the Iraqi people.”

At least 100 people have been killed in Iraq since Friday during the second wave of protests said Iraq's Independent High Commission for Human Rights on Wednesday.

Anger has been building in Iraq in recent years due to rising unemployment and rampant corruption. Many people in the country have limited access to basic services such as electricity and clean water.

According to World Bank figures, Iraq's youth unemployment is around 25%. It is also ranked the 12th most-corrupt country in the world by several transparency organizations.