The current head of Iraq's temporary Governing Council, Jalal Talebani, has arrived in Ankara earlier today. State Minister Kursad Tuzmen received Talebani at the Foreign Trade Undersecretariat. Tuzmen noted that the aim of the government was to improve the relations in trade and politics between Turkey and Iraq. He said that this would be beneficial for both countries, the region, and the world. Talebani emphasized that Turkey was a country with a long historical connection to Iraq. "I believe that the two countries have common interests. Iraq is a rich country in terms of population and natural resources. In terms of cooperation, the spectrum is wide. After the regime is established through democracy, money once spent for arms will be used for our country's prosperity.
| And there was one hell of a lot of money spent on arms... |
"In this capacity, Turkey would help us. We are hopeful for this visit. Important persons are in our delegation. We hope that relations between Turkey and Iraq will improve. We came to lay the foundation of this policy," stated Talebani. |