Erdogan: Turkey working on Iraqi-Syrian tension (Roundup)

Oct 15, 2009, 16:10 GMT

Baghdad - Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday that his country's efforts to solve the Iraqi-Syrian crisis are still ongoing, media reports said.

'We will work on bringing the Iraqi and Syrian views closer to solving all pending issues between the two countries,' Erdogan was quoted by the Voices of Iraq (VOI) news agency as saying.

In August, Syria and Iraq recalled their respective ambassadors after Iraqi authorities demanded that Damascus turn over two former Baath party members suspected of being behind bombings in Baghdad that killed around 100 people.

Iraq has frequently accused Syria of harbouring militants.

As tensions heightened between the two neighbours, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu shuttled between Iraq and Syria in an attempt to mend growing tension between the two countries.

Erdogan, who arrived in Baghdad earlier on Thursday on an official visit, said that Turkey will work on launching comprehensive cooperation in all fields with Iraq and Syria.

During his visit, Erdogan signed a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Iraq's Interior Ministry.

'The agreement includes controlling borders, fighting PKK elements and training Iraqi forces,' Iraq's Interior Minister Jawad al-Boulani said.

A total of 40 memorandums of understanding were signed between Iraq and Turkey in Baghdad in health, interior, communication, transport, oil and housing fields, VOI added.

The visit was also scheduled to witness a session of the Iraqi-Turkish strategic cooperation council, which was jointly established by the two countries during Erdogan's last visit to Baghdad in July 2008.