Iraqi fugitive VP will return home: Turkey PM

Iraqi fugitive VP will return home: Turkey PM

May 8 2012 at 05:58pm

By SAPA

iol pic wld Tareq al-Hashemi

Reuters

Iraq’s fugitive Vice-President Tareq al-Hashemi.

Ankara, Turkey –

Turkey’s prime minister said Tuesday that Iraq’s fugitive vice president Tareq al-Hashemi would return home once he has finished treatment for his health, the Anatolia news agency reported.

Hashemi, who is being tried in absentia in Baghdad accused of running a death squad, has been staying in Turkey since early April.

Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Hashemi was in his country for health reasons as well as for political contacts.

“I believe that he will return to his home country after completing the treatment for his health problems,” Erdogan was quoted as saying by Anatolia to journalists during the Turkish leader’s visit to Rome.

He also voiced support for the Iraqi leader concerning the legal case he was facing in Baghdad.

“As I said earlier, we’ve supported him and will continue supporting him on this issue,” said Erdogan.

The Sunni vice-president has sought refuge in Iraq’s autonomous Kurdish region after he was accused by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s government of running death squads against Shiites Ä a charge he denies.

Erdogan’s remarks came after Interpol said Tuesday it had issued an international Red Notice for Hashemi’s arrest on suspicion of “guiding and financing terrorist attacks”.

“The Red Notice for al-Hashemi represents a regional and international alert to all of Interpol’s 190 member countries to seek their help in locating and arresting him,” the Lyon-based international police agency said. – Sapa-AFP

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