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Turkish Plane in Iraq on Humanitarian Mission
Turkey on Monday sent a small plane to Iraq on a humanitarian mission to the United Nations sanctions-hit country.
The private plane, carrying a seven-member delegation as well as medicine and medical equipment, touched down at the Saddam International Airport at 10:25 (0725 GMT). This was the first flight from Turkey to Iraq in 10 years.
Lotfi Dugan, head of the delegation which included doctors and businessmen, told reporters at the airport that the flight has got the support of the Turkish government and the approval of the U.N. Sanctions Committee.
He called on all Arab countries to fly planes to Iraq to show solidarity.
Turkey was following the lead of Russia, France and a number of Arab states who have launched humanitarian flights to Iraq over the past weeks. Ankara also turned a green light to Russian flights to Iraq through its airspace.
Turkey has taken steady steps to improve its relations with neighboring Iraq. Ankara announced in July that it will upgrade its level of representation in Baghdad from the post-Gulf War charge d'affaires to ambassador.
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