Turkey on Friday advised its citizens to avoid non?essential travel to Iraq, with the country drawn into the war between Iran and the United States and Israel. In a statement, the Turkish embassy in Baghdad said: "It is considered appropriate for our citizens to avoid travelling to Iraq during this period unless there is a compelling reason to do so".
The embassy also advised citizens to avoid crowded squares, gathering areas around the Green Zone in Baghdad, as well as Baghdad and Erbil international airports, residential areas in and around Mosul, areas adjacent to Basra and critical infrastructure facilities such as military zones and oil fields across Iraq.
The Green Zone and Erbil, in particular, have been subject to attacks by Iran-backed groups in Iraq targeting US assets.
Iran has also struck positions belonging to Iranian Kurdish groups exiled in Iraq.
The road connection between Turkey and Iraq, however, remains open to traffic, the embassy said.
