Turkey to close Iraq border, airspace, will open new gate with Baghdad

Turkey wants to open a new border gate with Iraq in cooperation with the central government in Baghdad after it shuts down the existing gate in response to last week's Kurdish independence referendum, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said.

"We have proposed opening the new Ovakoy gate, west of currently used Habur gate, to Baghdad and we are expecting their support. We will be happy to discuss this with (Iraqi Prime Minister Haider) al-Abadi," Yıldırım told reporters, saying the timing of his visit to Baghdad was a work in progress.

Yıldırım also said he wanted to boost cooperation with central Iraqi government on economy, defence, security and political issues.

The premier added that following the visit to Iran, a mutual agreement regarding northern Iraq was reached, as well as a counterterrorism agreement against the Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK).