Iraq/Turkey

Turkish head of state pays first visit to Iraq in 33 years

Article published on the 2009-03-23 Latest update 2009-03-23 16:32 TU

Jalal Talabani (L) with Abdullah Gul (R) in Istanbul 17 March 2009.
(Photo: Reuters)

Turkish President Abdullah Gul arrived Monday in Iraq on the first visit by a Turkish head of state in 33 years. He is expected to meet with top Iraqi officials to discuss the tricky issue of Kurdish rebels.

Fahri Koruturk was the last Turkish head of state to visit Iraq, when he went to meet then president Ahmed Hassan al-Bakr in 1976.

Turkey hopes to weed out the rebels from the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Ankara has frequently accused the Iraqi Kurds, who run an autonomous region in northern Iraq, of aiding rebels.

Gul is also slated to meet with the region's Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani.

"Gul will discuss with President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki the PKK issue, water and economic relations," reported state television Al-Iraqiya.

Talabani, himself a Kurd, met Gul in Turkey last year and the two pledged to co-operate to solve the problem.

And, in December, Maliki also pledged to increase co-operation to flush out the rebels.

But last week in Istanbul Talabani asked Turkey to consider amnesty for the rebels. Baghdad says such a gesture from Ankara would increase the prospect of lasting peace.

Talabani added that rebels are expected to respect a ceasefire next month that was proposed by Kurdish political groups from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Europe.

But it is more than laying down arms. Talabani said it would be "a decision in principle to end the so-called armed revolution".