Iraqi President Expresses Willingness To Develop Strong Relations With Turkey

ANKARA - Iraqi President Jalal Talabani said Friday that his country was willing to develop strong ties with Turkey in political, commercial, economic, energy, and cultural fields.
On a two-day working visit in Turkish capital Ankara, Talabani appeared in a joint press conference with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul after their meeting at Cankaya Presidential Residence.
"Turkish people helped us greatly when we were in opposition in Iraq. I would like to express my gratitude to the Turkish people, the military and its commanders and to all Turkish leaders. Turkey has welcomed hundreds of refugees and sheltered them," Talabani.
"We would like to see that our neighborly relations become a model for political stability and economic development in the Middle East, and the more pipelines we construct, the further our relations will develop," he said.
(YMB-BRC)