Turkish PM arrives in Baghdad

Baghdad, March 28 (AKnews) – The Turkish Prime Minister Recep Teyyip Erdogan arrived in Baghdad on Monday afternoon at the head of a delegation of ministers and businessmen.

A source at the Turkish embassy in Baghdad told AKnews that Erdogan was hosted at Baghdad International Airport by the Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and a number of ministers and government officials.

The delegation accompanying Erdogan included the Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, State Minister Zafer Jaglayan, and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Taner Yildiz, in addition to a number of Turkish businessmen.
Erdogan is scheduled to meet with the Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, Parliament Speaker Osama al-Nujaifi and various political party leaders, during his visit to the Iraqi capital befor moving on to Najaf where he is scheduled to hold talks with the Shiite cleric Ali al-Sistani and other senior religious figures.
After Najaf, Erdogan is expected to visit the semi-autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan Region where he will meet the region’s President Massoud Barzani

Turkey’s Foreign Minister Davutoglu visited the Iraqi capital earlier this year as a prelude to Erdogan’s visit.
Iraq enjoys healthy economic ties with neighboring Turkey, with many trade agreements operative between the two countries.
A total of 117 Turkish companies are currently implementing various investment projects in Iraq across a spectrum of sectors ranging from energy development to agriculture.
An important 15-year contract was signed between the two countries in September last year for the shipping of Iraqi crude oil from Kirkuk’s northern oil fields through the Turkish port of Ceyhan.
Speaking last week the head of the Kurdistan Region’s Presidential office Fuad Hussein said the Turkish PM’s expected visit to the semi-autonomous region highlights “Turkey’s improved relations with Kurdistan.”
Hussein said the Kurdish side will discuss with the Turkish delegation measures to buttress mutual cultural, economic, and political ties.
Asked whether the issue of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) will be addressed in the meetings, Hussein said all subjects, including common security issues, would be discussed “openly, as usual in our meetings with Turkish officials .”
Founded in Southeast Turkey in 1978, the PKK took up arms in 1984 and have waged battle with the Turkish state for greater political and cultural rights for Turkey’s 20 million Kurds for nearly three decades. Around 40,000 people have died to date in clashes with the Turkish military, many of them civilians.

Reported by Bradost Lawin
Rn/Ka/AKnews

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