The Kurdistan Regional Government's prime minister held talks on Oct. 31 with senior Turkish officials, including Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in Istanbul, Hurriyet Daily News reported.
Nechirvan Barzani first met with Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and discussed regional developments, including bilateral ties between Ankara and the Kurdish region and the Syrian crisis, according to sources. Barzani was accompanied by his deputy, Imad Ahmad, Prime Ministry Council head Fuad Hussein and spokesman Safeen Dizayee.
Dezayee, also the parliamentary speaker of the regional administration, told Anadolu Agency that they hoped to strengthen relations between the two governments. He also commented on the tension between the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) and the regional administration.
He said Kurdish parties in Syria should have strong relations. "Two years ago, a strong structure was formed among the Kurdish parties but the PYD, the biggest Kurdish party in Syria, was not committed to the agreement. However, we still supported the solution of the Kurdish issue in Syria," he said, adding that they were working on forming a government following Sept. 21parliamentary elections.
Later in the afternoon, Barzani met with Erdogan to especially discuss energy cooperation, according to Turkish government officials.
Barzani's visit came as the region plans to build a second new oil export pipeline to Turkey within the next two years. Speaking at an energy conference in Istanbul, Ashti Hawrami, the region's natural resources minister, outlined an ambitious oil export growth strategy for the region. Construction of the first pipeline to Turkey is complete, and it is being tested in preparation for the start of commercial shipments in the first quarter of 2014, officials said.