March
31, 2010 ISTANBUL, — Nechirvan Barzani, the former
prime minister of Iraq's Kurdistan region and
co-chairman of the Kurdistan Democratic Party KDP,
was received by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet
Davutoglu on Tuesday in Istanbul.
During the meeting Davutoglu stressed how important
the positive atmosphere between Turkey and Kurdistan
region is and also underlined the significance for
Turkey of a swift government formation in Iraq.
Barzani’s visit was mainly to boost economic
relations between Turkey and Kurdistan region in
Iraq's north, during which he also met Turkish
businessmen and asked them to invest in the region.
The meeting comes at a time when the winner of the
general elections by a narrow margin, Iyad Allawi,
is looking for partners to form a coalition
government to rule the country. Shiites and Kurds
are the likely kingmakers given the disputes between
Allawi and the incumbent Prime Minister Nouri-al
Maliki who was left second by two seats after the
former.
Turkey Foreign Minister Davutoglu and Nechirvan Barzani
in press conference in Ankara 31.March.2010,
Turkish/Kurdish language
Barzani, who is also the former
prime minister of the region, is seen as the next
leader of the Kurdish authority in Kurdistan. His
visit to Turkey was long expected following the
normalization of relations between Turkey and Iraqi
Kurdistan. On Jan. 26,www.ekurd.netthe
Iraqi Cabinet approved the opening of a Turkish
consulate general in Erbil, the de facto capital of
the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.
Meanwhile Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip
Erdogan received on Tuesday Salahuddin Muhammad
Bahauddin, chairman of Iraqi Kurdistan Islamic Union
Party, in Istanbul.
The nearly one-hour meeting at Istanbul's Dolmabahce
Palace was held closed to the news media.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu as well
attended the meeting.
®
