ANKARA - Iraq increased its diplomatic representation in Ankara to the level of ambassador after an interval of one year.
Talip Al-Dileymi, who acted earlier as the deputy undersecretary for cultural affairs at the Iraqi Embassy in Ankara, arrived in Ankara on Friday as the new Iraqi Ambassador to Turkey.
As a result, diplomatic relations between Turkey and Iraq which continued at the level of charge d'affaires following the departure of former Iraqi Ambassador Faruk Hicazi from Turkey after events of September 11, 2001, was upgraded again to the level of ambassador.
Hicazi who faced allegations that he had met with Mohamed Atta, one of the terrorists who staged the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, returned to his country in November of 2001 by saying that his term in office came to an end.
Diplomatic relations between Turkey and Iraq have been carried out by Iraqi Charge D'Affaires Tarik Hamandi, and by the new Iraqi Charge D'Affaires Munzir Numan Abdullah since July 26, 2002.