In New York, Gul attends a meeting on Iraq

On the sidelines of 63rd UN General Assembly session, US President George W. Bush, Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and heads of state of countries participating in the coalition forces in Iraq yesterday met with at a gathering on Iraq, with Turkey represented by President Abdullah Gul. At the meeting, Talabani thanked Turkey for its efforts to restore peace and stability in Iraq, and said that the struggle against the terrorist PKK will continue as before. US Permanent representative to UN Zalmay Khalilzad praised Turkey contributing to establishment of democracy and stability in Iraq. Khalilzad referred to Turkey's efforts to convince Iraqi Sunnis to participate in the elections and said they were very effective. Continuing to hold bilateral talks with fellow UN members, Gul was also decorated yesterday with a medal by New York-based Foreign Policy Association for his efforts and contributions to Middle Eastern peace.