In Baghdad, Atalay and Iraqi, US officials discuss anti-PKK measures

A delegation led by Interior Minister Besir Atalay yesterday attended a tripartite meeting in Baghdad with Iraqi and US officials to coordinate efforts against the terrorist PKK. Atalay's delegation, including Special Envoy to Iraq Murat Ozcelik, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's foreign policy advisor Ahmet Davutoglu, and military officials, met with Iraqi Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani, Iraqi State Minister for National Security affairs Shirwan al-Waili, and US Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker. Afterwards, Atalay said that a new US-Iraqi security agreement had ushered in a new era, and that in the meeting Ankara had told the other two sides about measures to eradicate the terrorist PKK. Before the meeting, Atalay met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in the Green Zone, who said that the PKK harms not only Turks but also Iraqis. Later returning to Turkey, Atalay stated that measures to take against the PKK in northern Iraq had been laid out, adding, "The meeting also discussed the future of Iraq and its security problems, and was very fruitful."