Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu said Friday that the preparations are underway to reopen Turkish consulates in Mosul and Basra in Iraq, which were closed after Daesh attacked in 2014.
Çavuşoğlu spoke to Anadolu Agency (AA) yesterday and confirmed that they have started examining the area to build new consulates in the cities of Basra and Mosul. "Presumably, we will first open the Basra Consulate then Mosul after finding a proper place," he said.
Accordingly, Turkey plans to assign two new consul generals to the consulates to re-strengthen relations with Iraqi authorities. The decision to reopen the consulates indicates that the Daesh threat in the area has been weakening.
However, the terror group continues to threaten the area, as it is known to come up with new operational strategies. Daesh is not the only threat at the moment as the PKK and other terrorist organizations are also apparent.
Meanwhile, security in Iraq has recovered relatively, and there is now the chance to ensure security across the country, according to local experts. Daesh took over the Turkish Consulate in Mosul in June 11, 2014, and held captive 49 consulate personnel and their families, including Republican People's Party (CHP) Deputy Chair Öztürk Yılmaz, who was then the consul general to Mosul. The hostages were safely returned to Turkey after 101 days of captivity.
