Talabani, Gül set to visit Kirkuk
Hurriyet
President Abdullah Gül will visit the oil-rich northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Dec. 20, together with his Iraqi counterpart, Jalal Talabani, a trip that comes after the terrorist attack that claimed the lives of at least 55 people.
The announcement made by Talabani came Friday during his meeting with Iraqi Turkmen representatives in Kirkuk. Turkey’s Gül denounced the terrorist attack and expressed unity with Iraqis in a message to the Iraqi leader. Gül’s trip to Iraq has been long-expected by Iraqis who want to boost ties with its northern neighbor. In his first official trip to Iraq, Gül will visit Baghdad and will have talks with prominent Iraqi politicians. The exact date of Gül’s visit to Iraq will become clear after his doctor has revealed the nature of an ear problem he has been suffering from.
A suicide bomber struck a crowded restaurant Thursday where Kurdish officials were meeting with Arab tribal leaders to discuss long-standing ethnic tensions. The attack outside Kirkuk was the deadliest in Iraq in nearly six months.
In his message, Gül said Turkey was ready to treat the injured upon a request from the Iraqis, according to a statement from the presidency’s press office. Gül also said the timing of the attack was concerning as it coincided with the noteworthy steps taken by Iraqis to live in peace and tolerance. He said Turkey would always be on the side of the Iraqis and would take joint steps with Iraq to eradicate the plague of terror that threatens the world.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry also condemned the bomb attack. “We strongly condemn this heinous attack in Kirkuk, which is a symbol of Iraq’s ethnic and sect richness and of the desire of the country’s people to live together in peace,” a written statement released by the ministry said.
Source: arama.hurriyet.com.tr/arsivnews.aspx?id=10558299