Iraqi PM to pay visit to Turkey

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al- Maliki will pay a visit to Turkey on Oct. 15-17 for talks that are expected to focus on fighting against terrorism, Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshiar al-Zebari said on Wednesday.

Al-Maliki will fly to Turkey on Sunday, the minister said, adding that the president would be accompanied by a large team of advisers, including an official from the autonomous northern Iraqi region of Kurdistan.

Meanwhile, Turkey's semi-official Anatolia news agency reported that during his visit to Turkey, al-Maliki is scheduled to meet Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.

Bilateral relations, fight against terrorism as well as regional and international issues are expected to be discussed during the talks of the two sides, Anatolia said.

Sirvan al-Vaili, Iraq's special envoy for countering terrorism, is also expected to be in the delegation, the report added.

Source: Xinhua