Turkish premier schedules Baghdad visit

ANKARA, Turkey, June 24 (UPI) -- Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan plans to visit officials in Baghdad near the first weekend in July, officials said Tuesday.

Iraqi and Turkish officials exercised caution regarding an official date for the visit, but various media reports said the Turkish premier plans to make a one-day trip to Baghdad on July 4, the Turkish Daily News said.

Erdogan is expected to meet with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during his visit to discuss improving bilateral ties between the two countries. Iraqi President Jalal Talabani is also expected to attend the meeting, provided he returns from medical treatment in the United States in time.

A delegation of high-ranking Turkish officials plan to accompany the premier. They are expected to press Baghdad for better cooperation in Turkish operations targeting the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK, in northern Iraq.

The Turkish delegation to that end also plans to meet with top Kurdish officials, including Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Barham Salih. Prime Minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government Nechirvan Barzani also expressed interest in meeting with his Turkish counterpart, though there is nothing planned, he said.

Turkish and Iraqi leaders will endorse a "strategic cooperation agreement" on a variety of measures including the economic and energy sectors.