Dubai, Sept 02: Turkey and Iran have rejected a military option for the change of government in Iraq saying the crisis has to be settled peacefully after consultations with countries in the region.


"Any change in the Iraqi government must come from the people of that country," Turkish Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel said in a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Kamal Kharrazi, a media report said. Gurel's statements were echoed by Kharrazi who also called for consultations among regional countries on the issue to prevent a major crisis.


"The Iraqi regime is unpredictable. It has caused a lot of damage to the region with its incursions in the past two decades. Despite this, no foreign country has the right to interfere in that country's affairs," he said.


Consultations among Iraq's neighbours are key to preventing insecurity in the region, Kharrazi said, adding any development in Iraq affects its neighbours and the region.


"Exchange of views among neighbours to examine strategies to (exhort) Iraqi cooperation with the United Nations is an effective step to averting a major regional crisis," he was quoted as saying by the official Iranian news agency IRNA. Gurel is on a two-day visit to Tehran since Saturday to discuss bilateral ties as well as regional and international issues with Iranian officials. His visit follows Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer's trip to Iran in June. Bureau Report