Baghdad: Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki will hold talks with his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan during his visit to Turkey today.
The talks will concentrate on crucial issues of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a Turkish Kurdish opposition group and the fate of the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, officials said.
Lubaid Abbawi, the Iraqi Foreign Minister Deputy, assured Gulf News that the Iraqi government will not sign any agreement that allows Turkish troops to penetrate Iraqi borders to tackle PKK fighters.
Despite the senior Iraqi diplomat's assurance, Ankara will attempt to renew the agreement signed with the ex-Iraqi government in Saddam Hussain's era that allows Turkish troops to enter 25km into Iraqi territories to eliminate PKK fighters, say Kurdish analysts.
Haji Esmail, a Kurdish political researcher in Arbil, told Gulf News: "Ankara's dream is to renew its agreement with Saddam Hussain.
"I believe that it is massing its troops on the Iraqi border to put pressure on the Iraqi government to accept that deal, but Al Maliki and other Iraqi political blocs leaders oppose the previous agreement. That is why I think the Iraqi prime minister in his next visit to Turkey will not allow usage of Iraqi territories to destabilise neighbouring countries' security which is a key principle in the Iraq foreign policy set by the constitution."
Kurdish fighters
Iraqi officials talk on preventing threats to the neighbouring countries' security seems unconvincing to Turkish officials in the light of the ongoing operations launched by PKK fighters across the Iraqi-Turkish mountainous borders. It is therefore certain that the Turkish government will submit specific requests to Al Maliki.
Ramadan Al Khazraji, former senior employee in Foreign Ministry during Saddam's era, told Gulf News: "The Turkish army will not abandon the process of entering Iraqi territories to fight PKK elements. The Turks will propose launching joint military operations, probably an Iraqi-Turkish-American or a Turkish-American operation".
As for the Kirkuk inhabited by Kurds, Turkmen and Arabs, it is expected that Al Maliki will maintain the Iraqi government position aiming to apply Article 140 of the Iraqi Constitution that it is an internal Iraqi issue.
Al Maliki's rapprochement with the Kurdish leaders will strengthen his position of Kirkuk's self-determination according to the Iraqi Constitution, Iraqi sources said.
Kurdish political sources in Arbil said that there is an understanding with Al Maliki on how to deal with the Kirkuk file with Turkey and the basis of any Iraqi officials' position is not to allow any Turkish intervention concerning this file.
