Turkish president to visit Iraq, meet Talabani late December- report

The Turkish president will meet his Iraqi counterpart, and the two are also expected to visit both Kirkuk and Arbil, PUKmedia reported.  Â

Presidential sources confirm visit is on the agenda, adding there is no clear date. The sources also say Gul's visit could be cancelled due to the president's illness in his ear.

Talabani, himself a Kurd, reiterated his invitation to the Turkish president during their meeting in New York on the sidelines of a session of the U.N. General Assembly in September.

Turkey has intensified its direct contacts with both Iraqi central government and the regional Kurdish administration in northern Iraq to discuss the possible measures that can be taken in the fight against the terror organization PKK.

Turkey, who has also stepped up its campaign to crackdown on the PKK, has long blamed the Kurdish administration in northern Iraq for supporting the PKK and refused to hold contacts.