ANKARA - Turkish Premier Recep Tayyib Erdogan Wednesday welcomed the Iraqi parliament's selection of Kurdish leader Jalal Talabani as the first democratically-elected president after the removal of Saddam Hussein.
"Despite being late in naming the new Iraqi president, Ankara expected the selection of Talabani for this post," Erdogan said in press statements.
Following the selection of the Iraqi parliament speaker, the president and his two deputies, it was time to name the Prime Minister.
Erdogan hoped the new Iraqi government would assume office and run the country as soon as possible.