Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 7
By Orkhan Quluzade – Trend:
Turkey’s Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has arrived in Iraq for an official visit, Turkish media reported Jan. 7.
During the visit, Yildirim is accompanied by Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik, Education Minister Ismet Yilmaz, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Berat Albayrak, Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci, Customs and Trade Minister Bulent Tufenkci.
The Turkish prime minister is expected to have talks with Iraqi President Fuad Masum, Speaker of the Iraqi Council of Representatives Salim al-Jabouri during the visit.
Moreover, Yildirim will meet several political and religious figures of Iraq.
After the negotiations in Baghdad, the Turkish prime minister will visit the Iraqi city of Erbil, where he will meet Kurdish Regional Government President Masoud Barzani and Kurdistan Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani.
It is expected that issues of development of relations, strengthening of economic ties, development of trade and joint fight against terrorism will be discussed during Yildirim’s visit to Iraq.
Meanwhile, one of the main topics of discussions will be the presence of Turkish Armed Forces on Iraqi territory.
Turkish Armed Forces use Bashiqa base in northern Iraq to train Kurdish Peshmerga forces to fight against the ‘Islamic State’ (IS, ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) terrorist group.
Earlier, Binali Yildirim said that the presence of Turkish Armed Forces in the Bashiqa base doesn’t threaten Iraq’s sovereignty.
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