Egypt calls on Baghdad and Erbil to practice self-restraint

CAIRO – 16 October 2017: Egypt calls on the Iraqi government and the Kurdistan Regional Government to practice self-restraint and avoid collisions that may result in more complications, strains and instability in the region, according to a statement issued by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on Monday.

“Egypt calls on all parties to resort to dialogue and consensual solutions to defuse the crisis which may lead to dangerous consequences and regional and international impacts,” the statement added.

The statement asserted the necessity of protecting the integrity of the Iraqi territory and protecting all Iraqi spectra against mutual challenges.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi directed the Armed Forces to protect all citizens in Kirkuk, following news that a vast territory in Kirkuk Monday will be restored, an official statement by Abadi said on Monday.

The federal forces have restored control of Kirkuk military airport, Al Hurriya Air Base and other vital sites in

Kirkuk

upon directives from the Iraqi leadership.

The Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service, police forces and the army’s ninth brigade regained control of a vast territory in Kirkuk including the oil well, Baba Gurgur, without clashing with the Peshmerga forces located in Kirkuk.

The multi-ethnic city of Kirkuk, home to one of Iraq's largest oil fields, was taken over by Kurdish Peshmerga forces in July 2014 after Iraqi government troops left the city ahead of a possible attack by radical Islamic State insurgents who have already seized two major Iraqi cities.