Turkey's PM makes official visit to Iraq

Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım has visited Iraq for an official visit.

Prime Minister Yıldırıim traveled from Esenboğa Airport in Turkey's capital of Ankara via private plane.

The Governor of Ankara Ercan Topaca, the Security Director of Ankara Mahmut Karaarslan and various other state officials were at the airport to bid farewell to the Prime Minister.

According to a statement released by the Press Office of the Prime Minister, Yıldırım will visit Baghdad and Erbil today and on Saturday.

The statement said that the third meeting of the Turkey-Iraq High Level Strategic Cooperation Council would be presided over by Prime Minister Yıldırım and Iraqi Prime Minister Haydar Al Ibadi.

Regional stability and security are on the top of the agenda during the Turkish visit; especially steps to strengthen bilateral cooperation to counter terrorist groups PKK, Daesh and FETO.

Iraqi President Fuad Masum and Representative Assembly President Selim Cuburi will also meet with Prime Minister Yıldırım.

Prime Minister Yıldırım will meet with leading political officials, party officials, opinion leaders and representatives of Iraqi Turkmens.

After the meeting in Baghdad, Prime Minister Yıldırım will travel to Erbil and meet with the President of the Iraqi Kurdistan region Masoud Barzani and Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government Nechervan Barzani to discuss combatting terrorism and the economy.