Turkish president's visit to Iraq canceled for health reasons

Sources earlier told Anatolian Agency Gul's visit to Iraq would become definite after medical examinations on the Turkish president who has been suffering from ear illness.

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said Monday he would be content to host Gul in Iraq, after meeting a delegation from Turkey's pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party (DTP), lead by Ahmet Turk.  

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.

The problems in the region could be solved via dialogue in the short run, CNNTurk quoted Talabani as saying after the meeting. He also said the Kurdish issue was an international problem.

The DTP delegation also met Iraqi officials, including Massoud Barzani, the leader of the regional administration in northern Iraq, at the weekend.

Improving the dialogue between Kurds was discussed in the meeting, and both parties support dialogue instead of military measures as a solution to the Kurdish issue, news agencies reported after the DTP delegations' meetings.