Barzani discusses PKK & Syria with Turkish officials

02.11.2013 – Hawar Abdulrazaq – BasNews (Erbil): – Iraqi Kurdistan’s Prime Minister, Nechirvan Barzani, met with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Turkish foreign minister.  

Barzani, who travelled to Turkey upon an invitation from Erdogan, met Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, before meeting the PM. Syria and Turkey’s Kurdish question dominated the meeting. There were also discussions of further diplomatic and economic developments between Erbil and Ankara. Energy was a prime topic, with talks of Erbil opening a second independent oil pipeline to Turkey.  Barzani’s trip to Turkey followed a high-level visit from the central administration of Iraq to Turkey, signaling a thaw in the often strained relations between Turkey and Baghdad. In recent years the Kurdistan Regional Government and Turkey have built strong relations. This was  Barzani’s third visit to Turkey this year. Turkey is the leading investor in the region, particularly in the energy and construction sector.