Iraqi FM Calls Turkey's Decision to Toughen Visa Regime 'Surprising'

Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Jaafari called Turkey's decision to impose visas for the Iraqi citizens wishing to visit the country surprising and said that Iraq may take similar measures.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim Jaafari called decision by Ankara to toughen its visa regime for Iraqi citizens "surprising" during a meeting with Turkish Ambassador to Baghdad Farouk Qimagja.

On Saturday, the Turkish Foreign Ministry announced the tightening of its visa regime with Iraq in a bid to fight undocumented migration. Iraqi citizens can now only enter Turkey on visas obtained at one of Turkey's diplomatic missions. Previously, citizens of Iraq were able to obtain Turkish visas at checkpoints when crossing the border.

"The minister called Turkey's decision to impose visas for the Iraqi citizens wishing to visit the country surprising. Iraq may take similar measures. He noted that Iraq expected Turkey to try easing tensions and to facilitate rapprochement with Baghdad, but wee see the opposite," the Iraqi Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Turkish ambassador, for his part, explained that the measure was motivated by the need to curb illegal border crossings by migrants trying to enter Europe and said that this measure applied to all people arriving in Turkey.

Turkish-Iraqi relations deteriorated in December 2015 when Turkey deployed troops and tanks to a base in the Nineveh province in Iraq, without Baghdad’s approval. Ankara subsequently stated that its troops had entered Iraq to ensure the security of the Turkish soldiers previously deployed at the base to train local militias fighting against terrorist groups. Baghdad has termed Ankara's actions hostile, and a violation of Iraq's sovereignty.