By Zuhal Demirci,

Ankara: Turkey issued a travel warning for Iraq on Saturday as the country was hit by protests over unemployment and lack of basic services.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry advised Turkish citizens to stay away from protests in Iraqi cities of Basra, Maysan, Dhi Qar, Najaf, Karbala, and Baghdad.

Turkish citizens should follow warnings and announcements by Turkey’s Embassy in Baghdad as well as the ministry.

Tension has been building on in Basra over rising unemployment and repeated power outages, with protests spreading to several other provinces, including the capital Baghdad.

Last week, a demonstrator was killed by security forces during a protest against deteriorating services in Basra.

Roughly 80 percent of Iraq’s overall crude oil exports originate from oilfields in Basra province.

For years, Basra residents have complained that foreign nationals, rather than locals, were employed by the domestic energy sector.

They also complain of frequent power outages amid summer temperatures that often reach as high as 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).

—AA