Turkish officials weigh ties to Kurdistan

ANKARA, Turkey, May 30 (UPI) -- Officials from the ruling Justice and Development Party in Turkey said Friday they are considering a diplomatic visit to Iraqi Kurdistan.

The announcement follows a visit by Kurdish delegates to Ankara last week to discuss boosting economic and political ties between Turkey and the semiautonomous region.

Justice and Development Party Deputy Chairman Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat said his party was weighing an official invitation from members of the Kurdish delegation to visit the city of Erbil, Today's Zaman reported.

Firat said his party would weigh the invitation once it received support from the party's central authority. He noted the proposal grew more attractive when the Turkish National Security Council gave its backing for opening an official dialogue with the Iraqis earlier this year.

The National Security Council made its decision following a visit by Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, a Kurd, in March. Turkish officials, however, cautioned that Iraqi Kurds need to take further steps to rein in the militant Kurdistan Workers Party, which several nations, including the United States, consider a terrorist organization.

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan is planning a visit to Baghdad in early June, though the official date is a closely guarded secret because of security concerns.