Friday, August 03, 2007
Maliki to visit Turkey and Iran
Regional
(AP) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will visit Iran and Turkey next week to discuss security issues and the need for cooperation amid tensions with both countries. The Shiite leader will lead a delegation to Turkey on Tuesday and to Iran the next day "to discuss the bilateral relations between Iraq and these two countries in the political, economic and security fields," government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said.
The trips had been expected as Iraq seeks help from its neighbors in trying to end its rampant violence. Al-Maliki is likely to focus on persuading Turkey not to stage an incursion into the Kurdish north. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who invited al-Maliki last month, warned the Turkish military would act if the United States and Iraqi leaders failed to stem the Kurdish guerrillas operating from bases in northern Iraq.
The trip to Iran will be al-Maliki's second since taking office in May 2006. He has appealed to the close ally of his Shiite-led government for help in calming violence and developing Iraq's troubled oil industry. Iraq also needs to balance its relationships with Iran and the United States. Al-Maliki's Dawa Party is closely allied with Iran as are other Shiite parties in his government. The prime minister lived in Iran for part of his long exile during Saddam Hussein's rule. But Washington has accused Iran of fueling the violence in Iraq by training Shiite extremists and providing weapons for anti-U.S. activity. Iran denies the allegations.
The Iraqi government has said it wants good relations with Iran while insisting there should be no interference in its internal affairs. The U.S. and Iranian ambassadors to Iraq held rare talks in Baghdad on July 24 and agreed to set up a security subcommittee to carry forward talks on restoring stability in Iraq.
The trips had been expected as Iraq seeks help from its neighbors in trying to end its rampant violence. Al-Maliki is likely to focus on persuading Turkey not to stage an incursion into the Kurdish north. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who invited al-Maliki last month, warned the Turkish military would act if the United States and Iraqi leaders failed to stem the Kurdish guerrillas operating from bases in northern Iraq.
The trip to Iran will be al-Maliki's second since taking office in May 2006. He has appealed to the close ally of his Shiite-led government for help in calming violence and developing Iraq's troubled oil industry. Iraq also needs to balance its relationships with Iran and the United States. Al-Maliki's Dawa Party is closely allied with Iran as are other Shiite parties in his government. The prime minister lived in Iran for part of his long exile during Saddam Hussein's rule. But Washington has accused Iran of fueling the violence in Iraq by training Shiite extremists and providing weapons for anti-U.S. activity. Iran denies the allegations.
The Iraqi government has said it wants good relations with Iran while insisting there should be no interference in its internal affairs. The U.S. and Iranian ambassadors to Iraq held rare talks in Baghdad on July 24 and agreed to set up a security subcommittee to carry forward talks on restoring stability in Iraq.
Labels: Iran, Nouri Al-Maliki, Turkey
