On Thursday, 5 March 2015, Minister of National Defence of Turkey İsmet Yılmaz was welcomed in Erbil by the President of the Kurdistan Region, Masoud Barzani.
At both meetings Yılmaz reiterated the importance of the ongoing cooperation between Turkey and the Kurdistan Region and assured further support in fighting the terror organization IS. Turkey will continue its assistance in training Peshmerga fighters and provide further humanitarian and military aid. The Minister of Defence added that Turkey looked on the safety and security of the Kurdistan Region the same way they looked at their own security, and consider the danger IS poses as a threat to Turkey as well.
Together with Deputy Prime Minister Talabani, Yılmaz conducted a field visit to the Peshmerga training centres in Soran district, where he could witness the effectiveness of Turkish support first hand.
President Barzani stated that there are many opportunities for mutual cooperation. Additionally, he reaffirmed KRG’s support for the peace process underway in Turkey. Deputy Prime Minister Talabani also expressed his gratitude to the Turkish government for its assistance and his gratefulness for the level of relations between both sides, which has witnessed significant progress over the past few years.