Sheikh Ja’fer Derbendi, head of the group, said: “We have come from different parts of Turkey, and it is such a great opportunity for us to visit the holy shrines in Iraq”.
Sayyid Ali Urmish, congregational prayer leader of Juroom Mosque and a member of the group, said: “This is our first visit to Iraq. Our wish was to come to Iraq and visit Kerbala and Najaf cities.”
He also said: “The mass media in Turkey say it is dangerous for those who want to visit Iraq, but today we have seen that it is safe, and is the opposite of what is being said about.”
Among the group, there were 50 religious scholars, highly educated individuals, and academicians, said Talaqani; escort of the group.