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| Turkey pressures Iraq PM on Kurds | Turkey pressures Iraq PM on Kurds |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki is in Turkey for talks on preventing raids into Turkish territory by Kurdish separatists based in northern Iraq. | Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki is in Turkey for talks on preventing raids into Turkish territory by Kurdish separatists based in northern Iraq. |
| Ankara has warned the Iraqi government either to crack down on Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) bases or face a possible incursion by Turkish troops. | Ankara has warned the Iraqi government either to crack down on Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) bases or face a possible incursion by Turkish troops. |
| Correspondents in Baghdad say it is not known what assurances Mr Maliki will give the Turkish authorities. | Correspondents in Baghdad say it is not known what assurances Mr Maliki will give the Turkish authorities. |
| Turkey has boosted troop levels along the Iraqi border in recent months. | Turkey has boosted troop levels along the Iraqi border in recent months. |
| The PKK has been labelled as a terrorist organisation by both the US and the EU. | The PKK has been labelled as a terrorist organisation by both the US and the EU. |
| The PKK aims to create a Kurdish state, part of which would be in south-east Turkey. | |
| The Turkish authorities say the rebels key bases are in northern Iraq. | |
| For decades the group has targeted Turkish security forces and has been blamed for attacks on foreign tourists. | For decades the group has targeted Turkish security forces and has been blamed for attacks on foreign tourists. |
| Eighty Turkish soldiers have died in skirmishes this year. | |
| Economic benefits | Economic benefits |
| The trip comes just two weeks after the Turkish general election - the campaign for which was punctuated by repeated calls from the Turkish military to be allowed to conduct cross-border raids on PKK bases. | |
| Re-elected for a second five-year term, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan now has the opportunity to raise Ankara's concerns directly with his Iraqi counterpart. | Re-elected for a second five-year term, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan now has the opportunity to raise Ankara's concerns directly with his Iraqi counterpart. |
| Mr Erdogan will be hoping to hear reassurances that Baghdad is serious about preventing PKK infiltration across the border, says the BBC's Dan O'Byrne in Istanbul. | Mr Erdogan will be hoping to hear reassurances that Baghdad is serious about preventing PKK infiltration across the border, says the BBC's Dan O'Byrne in Istanbul. |
| Before his visit, Mr Maliki said he wanted to develop good relations and co-operation with Turkey, but stressed he wanted to deal with Iraq's internal affairs alone. | |
| Meanwhile, the meeting could promise economic benefits for both sides. | Meanwhile, the meeting could promise economic benefits for both sides. |
| With the poor security in Iraq deterring direct investment by Western oil companies, the Iraqi and US governments have signalled their interest in Turkish companies playing a role in bringing the country's oil and gas reserves to market. | With the poor security in Iraq deterring direct investment by Western oil companies, the Iraqi and US governments have signalled their interest in Turkish companies playing a role in bringing the country's oil and gas reserves to market. |