Iraqi VP holds talks in Ankara

Iraqi Vice President Adil Abdulmahdi held a series of meetings on bilateral and regional issues in Ankara yesterday with President Abdullah Gul, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu. Cooperation to fight terrorism and boost economic relations topped the talks, including a tripartite mechanism between Iraq, the US and Turkey to eliminate the terrorist PKK presence in northern Iraq. The Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) also recently won an oil tender in Iraq as a part of an international consortium led by Russia's Gazprom. As Turkey is interested in more investments in the fields of construction, oil and gas, promising opportunities were discussed by Iraqi and Turkish delegations as part of talks in Ankara. As Iraq approaches general elections next month, ethnic conflicts and the country's fragile security were also discussed. Turkey urged all ethnicities to be involved in politics and participate in the legislative process to shape their country's future, diplomatic sources said.