Iraqi Kurd PM in Turkey amid Baghdad friction

ANKARA / ARBIL

Iraqi PM faces mounting pressure in war-torn country over his leadership skills. AA Photo

A senior Iraqi Kurdish politician is set to hold talks with top Turkish authorities to discuss ways to deepen economic relations and to jointly push the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) to drop its weapons.
 
Prime Minister of the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government (IFRG) Nechirvan Barzani was scheduled to arrive in Ankara late Wednesday, where he would meet President Abdullah Gül and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Thursday.

The foreign ministry said this would be Barzani’s first trip abroad after his re-appointment as prime minister last month. Nechirvan Barzani is the nephew of Massoud Barzani, the president of the IKRG.
The ministry said that aside from bilateral issues, the fight against terrorism would also be on the agenda.

Massoud Barzani’s visit to Ankara last month was significant, with the experienced Kurdish leader warning that he would no longer allow the PKK would to continue its reign in northern Iraq if it insists in not ceasing its armed struggle against Turkey.

Barzani was planning to hold a broad Kurdish Conference next month in northern Iraq, where he was set to loudly call the PKK to cease terror activities. During Thursday’s meetings, the latest developments are likely to be discussed.

Another important issue on the agenda is likely to be the situation of Iraqi Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi’s, after Interpol issued a Red Notice against the fugitive Iraqi Sunni leader.