Germany Promises Strong Support To Iraq Against Isıl

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, in a telephone conversation with the newly elected Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, promised strong support to Iraq's regional government in its fight against ISIL.

Merkel reassured that Germany will stand side by side with Iraq together along with international partners in its fight against ISIL," Government Spokesman Steffen Seibert told journalists at the Federal Press Conference.

"In her telephone conversation with Iraqi Prime Minister on Thursday, Merkel also underlined the importance of an "inclusive policy" by the new Iraqi government and a reconciliatory approach to reach out to all religious and ethnic groups of Iraqi society," Seibert said.

Haider al-Abadi was named as the new prime minister on August 1, ending former PM Nouri al-Maliki's eight-year rule. Al-Maliki had been widely criticized for pursuing a sectarian Shia agenda, alienating Sunnis and pushing many Sunni tribes to support insurgents and radical movements.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, which already controls parts of Syria, has extended its reach into Iraq since June 10, when it seized Iraq's second-largest city Mosul. Violence conducted by ISIL claimed more than 1,400 lives in Iraq, and caused 1.2 million Iraqis, including Turkmen, Arabs, Christians and Ezidis, to flee their homes.

The German government decided in August to supply military goods, arms and ammunition to Iraqi Kurdish regional government but ruled out joining air strikes or sending troops to the region to fight against ISIL.

On Friday, a group of seven German soldiers headed for Erbil in northern Iraq to train Peshmerga forces to use arms and military equipment provided by Germany.

The shipment of German arms and ammunition to the region will start next week.

In total, Germany's military aid will include arms for 4,000 Peshmerga troops. Berlin will send 4,000 G3 rifles, one million rounds of ammunition, 4,000 P1-type pistols with 500,000 bullets, 20 Milan anti-tank systems, 300 anti-tank missiles, 100 bazookas, 5,000 grenades and 50 military vehicles.

www.aa.com.tr/en - Berlin