Iraqi PM Maliki discusses PKK with Turkish leaders in Ankara

Maliki, accompanied by six Iraqi ministers during his visit, met Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey and Iraq would continue their joint fight against terrorism, Erdogan said following his meeting Maliki.

The two prime ministers discussed possible political and military steps that could be taken against the terror organization PKK during their meeting.

Erdogan said both Ankara and the central government of Iraq defined the PKK as a terrorist organization, and that Turkey, Iraq and the United States maintained the trilateral mechanism in fight against terrorism.

United States, Turkish and Iraqi officials in November formed a joint committee to combat the PKK after holding three-way talks in Baghdad as part of efforts to boost cooperation against the terrorists.

"Both Iraq and Turkey are in a serious fight against terrorism, and terrorism is our common issue," Erdogan was quoted by the Anatolian Agency as saying.

"We should not allow terror organizations, in particular the PKK, to weaken our relations," the agency also quoted Maliki as saying.

Maliki said he and the accompanying delegation came to Ankara to implement the strategic agreement signed between the two countries during Erdogan's Baghdad visit.

Turkey and Iraq have established a Strategic Cooperation High Council to promote relations and to deal with the PKK. The Council foresees at least one meeting a year with prime ministers, and three representatives at the ministerial level.

Maliki added they agreed to give their ministers necessary orders to make haste and implement and increase the efficiency of the strategic agreement signed between the two countries.

"There is common will between the two countries to enhance the relations in several areas. That's what we are working for," he said.

He also urged neighboring countries to invest in Iraq in order to contribute to the reconstruction and development of his country.

Maliki earlier met Gul at the presidential palace where he reiterated Iraqi President Jalal Talabani's invitation to the Turkish president to visit Iraq.Â

Gul and Maliki discussed bilateral relations and the fight against terror. "We must not permit the terrorist organization to obstruct our cooperation," Gul was quoted by Anatolian Agency as telling Maliki.

PROMOTION OF BILATERAL RELATIONS
Maliki told reporters at the airport in Ankara he came to Turkey to promote bilateral relations. "We are here for the brotherhood between two countries," he added.

"A trilateral committee was established that held its first meeting in Baghdad, where some decisions were taken, and we support the decisions of this committee. The first target of this committee is the struggle with the terror organization," Maliki said.

"We are here to protect all interests of the two countries," he added.Â

Maliki's visit comes as Iraqi President Jalal Talabani spoke of the possibility of the PKK laying down arms and disclosed a staged plan to end terror.

The diplomatic contacts between Turkey and Iraq have intensified recently.

Gul said Tuesday he will visit Iraq in January after postponing his visit to the Middle East earlier this month because of an ear ailment that prevented him from flying.

Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi was in Turkey to meet the Turkish president and prime minister last week. Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari is also expected to pay a visit to Ankara in the near term.