Turkish general says military deal with Iraq will contribute to peace

Hurriyet Daily News with wires

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Deputy Chief of Turkish General Staff Gen. Hasan Igsiz and his Iraqi counterpart Nasier Abadi signed the Memorandum of Understanding, or MoU, which envisages cooperation on military training and technical issues, in the capital Ankara earlier this week. 

"The memorandum of understanding signed by the two neighboring countries that have historical, cultural and traditional ties will contribute to peace in the Middle East that is still facing negative developments," army spokesman Gen. Metin Gurak was quoted by the state-run Anatolian Agency as telling a weekly press briefing in Ankara.

Gurak said the memorandum would lay the legal groundwork for further agreements.

"Our friendly relations based on brotherhood, mutual understanding and cooperation will further improve with this memorandum," he added.

The two neighboring countries have intensified relations that have been hit by security concerns.

Ankara has sought closer ties with Baghdad to enlist Iraqi support against the terror organization PKK, whose members use northern Iraq as a base for launching attacks in Turkey.

Turkish warplanes, provided with intelligence by the United States, have bombed PKK hideouts in northern Iraq since December 2007 under a parliamentary authorization which expires in October.

Last year, Turkey, Iraq and the United States formed a joint committee in the northern Iraqi province of Arbil to track the threat posed by the PKK and enact measures to curb the terrorists.