Despite WikiLeaks revelations, Turkish ties with N.Iraq seem set to continue

Ankara's burgeoning relations with northern Iraq are continuing despite Turkey's efforts to replace Baghdad's previous Kurdish-Shiite coalition with a more Sunni-based administration, according to a Turkish diplomatic official familiar with the process. Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu held several phone conversations with northern Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani, who said he was happy to be consulted. "He was happy that this time he was not approached just for security issues," said the same official. While US secret cables posted by online muckraker WikiLeaks detailed Turkey's efforts to support a Sunni-backed alliance headed by a secular Shiite, Turkish officials are not expecting any negative consequences in Ankara's ties with the Kurdish administration in northern Iraq. Rising trade volume remains between Turkey and northern Iraq is one of the strongest guarantees of security in the pair's relations.