ANKARA - Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari, in Turkey on his first overseas visit since he came to power last month, met his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday for talks expected to focus mainly on economic and security issues between the two neighbours.
"There is a common destiny, a partnership of interests between Iraq and its friend Turkey when it comes to oil, water resources and energy," Jaafari told reporters upon his arrival in Ankara late Thursday, the Anatolia news agency reported.
"These are the main issues that will be taken up during my visit," he said.
Jaafari, who arrived in Turkey aboard Erdogan's official plane, is accompanied by a large government delegation that includes the ministers of oil, finance, trade, electricity and industry; the minister for water resources is expected to join the delegation Saturday, Anatolia said.
Turkish officials say bilateral ties and possible cooperation in the reconstruction of Iraq will dominate Jaafari's talks in Ankara.
The daily Hurriyet reported Wednesday that some tough bargaining too is expected over an outstanding 1.7 billion dollars (1.3 billion euros) of Iraqi debt to Turkish firms, mostly for fuel provided since the March 2003 allied invasion of the country.
Turkey wants to help rebuild the war-torn country and supports the post-war political process, but has several concerns that it sees directly linked to its own security.
It is frustrated that no action has so far been taken against an estimated 5,000 rebels of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), considered terrorist by both Turkey and the United States, since October 2003, when the two sides agreed on an action plan that included military options.
At a three-way meeting in January, Iraqi, US and Turkish officials discussed measures to tackle the rebels, including intelligence cooperation, but the talks failed to produce any immediate military action.
Turkey was expected to ask Jaafari to act on a list of wanted PKK militants that it has handed both to Baghdad and the US forces in Iraq, according to Osman Korutuk, Turkey's top diplomat dealing with Iraq.
"We waited for the (Iraqi) government to come into office for any action to be taken regarding the list... Now we expect the government to determine the whereabouts of these people, arrest and extradite them," he told the NTV news channel Wednesday.
Another worry for Turkey is the future of the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, claimed by Iraqi Kurds as well as Turkmens, an Iraqi minority of Turkish descent.
Turkey suspects Iraqi Kurds of plotting to break away from Baghdad and make Kirkuk the capital of a future independent state -- a nightmare scenario for Ankara, which fears possible fallout on its own sizeable Kurdish community.
On the economic front, the two sides will discuss the possible sale of electricity to Iraq and long-standing plans to open up a second border post, which Turkey says will boost bilateral trade and enhance Turkey's contribution to Iraqi reconstruction.
Turkish companies have been keen to trade with Iraq, one of Turkey's main commercial partners before the 1991 Gulf War, but the violence there has scared many businesses away and prompted Ankara to seek greater security for its nationals.
Truck drivers in particular have increasingly become targets of Iraqi insurgents, some killed in road attacks and others kidnapped.
Koruturk said a number of measures, such as an insurance system for the drivers, their vehicles and freight, would be discussed with the Iraqi delegation.
Jaafari is scheduled to meet Turkish business people later Friday before attending a dinner in his honour hosted by Erdogan.
He will meet Turkish parliament speaker Bulent Arinc on Saturday before flying back home.
05/20/2005 08:31 GMT