Erdogan pays historic visit to Iraq

Turning a new page in post-Saddam Turkish-Iraqi relations, Prime Minister Recep Tayip Erdogan yesterday paid a visit to Iraq � the first by a premier in 18 years � and signed an agreement with his Iraqi counterpart Nouri al-Maliki to establish a High Council for Strategic Relations. Under the agreement, the countries' prime ministers will meet once a year, Cabinet ministers of both countries will meet three times a year, and various technical delegations will meet four times a year. The agreement is also meant to facilitate training for Iraqi officers and teachers. "With the establishment of the high-level strategic cooperation council, relevant ministries will work on a shared future for Turkey and Iraq," Erdogan said afterwards. "The meeting of the high-level strategic cooperation council co-chaired by al-Maliki and myself demonstrates our will to bring Turkish-Iraqi relations to their fullest potential." He added, "The meetings under the strategic cooperation council will strengthen our historical and cultural ties with Iraq. We plan to improve our relations with Iraq in the areas of politics, security, defense, energy, the economy, culture, and water resources. Over the next three to four years, we hope to raise our trade volume with Iraq to $25 billion." Calling on Iraqis to maintain their unity, Erdogan said, "The future of Iraq is the future of the region itself." Erdogan also met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and attended a dinner hosted by the president.