By KUNA
Irbil, Iraq : The government of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan, north Iraq, has this evening welcomed the withdrawal of Turkish troops from the region.
“We welcome this step and hope it will be a start of a new era in the region,” the government said in a statement.
“Diplomatic dialogue is the only effective way to solve political problems, ” the statement said, expressing the desire of Kurdistan government to build ties with the northern neighbor on a friendly basis.
The neighborly ties and friendship can serve the interests of both sides as well as those of the whole region, it added.
The Turkish military started an offensive on February 21 to root out the separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) based in northern Iraq. The operation, which was declared over earlier Friday, angered the people and government of Kurdistan as well as the federal government of Iraq.