MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said Saturday that he doubts Turkish claims that the border with Iraq is too broad to patrol.
“They [Turkey] say, that the border is too broad and they cannot control it. I believe that they can control it. It is in the interest of our partners to stop the flow of terrorists to Iraq,” al-Abadi said during the Munich Security Conference.
Turkey, which shares borders with both Syria and Iraq, has been struggling to halt the flow of foreign fighters to the Islamic State (ISIL) jihadist group. ISIL has seized vast territories in both Iraq and Syria, declaring the establishment of an Islamic caliphate and implementing radical Sharia law.
Thousands of foreign nationals have travelled to fight alongside the militant group. According to estimates by Europol, as many as 5,000 Europeans have left for the Middle East to join jihadist ranks.
