Government to inform public on Iraq crisis daily: FM Davutoğlu

The  government will establish a crisis desk to inform the Turkish public daily about the latest developments in Iraq, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu said June 13 after a crisis coordination meeting at the Foreign Ministry.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) have continued their advance in Iraq after seizing Mosul on June 9.

“We are establishing a crisis desk that will work 24 hours a day. It will be a crisis desk in which other ministries will also have representatives. It will answer all of the questions and give us daily analyses [of the situation],” Davutoğlu said in a joint press conference with Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekçi, Energy Minister Taner Yıldız and Transport Minister Lütfi Elvan.

He added that Deputy Foreign Minister Naci Koru, who will coordinate the desk, will make a public statement twice a day.

“We ask the public not to give any regard to information coming from any other source that is not confirmed by the crisis desk,” he added.

Regarding the release of the 31 Turkish truck drivers and 49 workers at the Turkish consulate in Mosul who were taken hostage by ISIL, Davutoğlu said Turkish authorities where pursuing their efforts.
He also assured that they have made a comprehensive analysis of the situation in the country.

“We have considered the situation in each province and determined where the crisis could spread,” he said.