Talabani due in Ankara this week

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani is set to arrive in Ankara on Friday to pay an official working visit at the invitation of President Abdullah Gul. In addition to Gul, Talabani, accompanied by four Iraqi Cabinet ministers, is scheduled to meet with Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan. His two days of talks with top Turkish officials are expected to focus on cooperation against PKK terrorism. The visit comes one week after the Turkish military withdrew troops from northern Iraq following an eight-day ground offensive against the PKK. This will be Talabani's first visit to Turkey as Iraq's president.