ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A high-level Turkish delegation will visit Baghdad on Thursday to hold security meetings with the Iraqi authorities, Turkey’s foreign ministry announced. The Turkish delegation includes Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Defence Minister Yasar Guler and head of Turkey's intelligence agency (MIT) Ibrahim Kalin. The aim of the visit is to “attend the next meeting of the security-oriented consultations with Iraq to be hosted by H.E. Mr. Fuad Hussein, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Iraq,” the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. “During the meeting, various topics on our bilateral agenda, particularly cooperation in the fields of combating terrorism, security as well as military cooperation will be discussed thoroughly” added the statement. Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last week that Ankara is close to completing a zone that will “permanently resolve” the security issues along their border with the Kurdistan Region and Iraq by the summer. “We are about to complete the circle that will secure our Iraqi borders,” said Erdogan following the Turkish government’s weekly cabinet meeting in Ankara. “This summer, we will have permanently resolved the issue concerning our Iraqi borders.” Turkey has recently upped its attacks against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the Kurdistan Region. A high-level Iraqi delegation headed by Hussein arrived in the Turkish capital of Ankara in December to discuss several topics including strengthening security and intelligence cooperation.
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