Special envoy Ozcelik in Iraq for talks

Turkey's Special Envoy Murat Ozcelik yesterday went to Iraq for a third round of talks with Massoud Barzani, the leader of the Kurdish regional administration there. Ozcelik is first expected to be received by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nouri al Maliki, and to meet with representatives of Sunni and Shiite groups in Baghdad. After his talks in the capital, Ozcelik will proceed to the northern Iraqi city of Erbil to meet with Barzani and other officials from the regional administration. In earlier talks with the regional administration, the sides agreed to establish in Erbil an office of the tripartite mechanism among Turkey, the US and Iraq, meant to coordinate efforts against the terrorist PKK. In related news, Iraq's new Ambassador to Turkey AbdulAmir Abu Tabikh came to Ankara yesterday.