Turkey backs ‘brother’ Hashemi: Erdogan

“Hashemi is our guest in Turkey and we will continue to host our brother until the day he wants to leave,” Erdogan said in televised remarks on Sunday.

“If there is a problem about Hashemi, it is the problem of the (Iraqi) government.”

Hashemi is accused of being involved in bomb attacks against the government and security officials over the past years, including a November 2011 car bombing in the capital Baghdad that apparently targeted Maliki. The fugitive vice president and his bodyguards also face accusations of killing six judges.

On December 19, 2011, an investigative committee within the Iraqi Interior Ministry issued an arrest warrant for Hashemi after three of his bodyguards confessed to having taken orders from him to carry out the terrorist attacks.

Interpol also issued an international Red Notice alert on May 8 for the arrest of Hashemi “on suspicion of guiding and financing terrorist attacks.”

Erdogan made the remarks a day after Iraqi protesters held a demonstration in front of the Turkish consulate in the southeastern city of Basra on May 19 to demand the Turkish government hand over Hashemi to Baghdad.

The Turkish premier also stated that the Saturday demonstration in Basra was “an unacceptable assault.”

HSN/PKH

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