President Masoud Barzani to visit Turkey on Thursday and Friday to speak with Turkish officials and Iraqi Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, on bilateral relations, regional developments, the fight against terrorism and serious internal political issues in Iraq.

A Turkish Foreign Ministry statement said President Barzani was scheduled for a two-day visit, and was expected to be received by President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu.

Hashemi went to Qatar in early April, leaving the country for the first time. After that he visited Saudi Arabia, which is uneasy with the Shiite-led government in Baghdad. Last week Hashemi came to Turkey, seeking political support. He met with Prime Minister Erdogan and other officials to assess the situation in Iraq.






PNA