Iraqi president phones Turkish PM on court survival

Talabani also offered his condolences over the double bombing that killed 17 and wounded scores in Istanbul last weekend; the state-run Anatolian Agency quoted the statement.

Erdogan expressed condolences, too, over the suicide bombing which killed at least 23 early this week in Kirkuk, the statement said.

Erdogan said Turkish government supports Kurdish, Turkmen, Arab, Sunni and Shiite groups to live together in peace in Kirkuk and condemned recent attack that targeted Kurdish protestors. He said Turkey was against all kinds of violence and offered Iraqi government help to bring injured Iraqis to Turkey for medical treatment.

The two leaders also discussed recent developments regarding the status of Kirkuk, the statement added.

Kirkuk, an ancient city that once was part of the Ottoman Empire, is often the scene of communal tensions among Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen, and the latest violence was sparked by protests over the controversial legislation for planned provincial elections.

The press office said in a separate statement, Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili called Erdogan and congratulated him over the court decision about AKP.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Iraqi Premier Nuri al-Maliki also called the Turkish prime minister to express their pleasure over the court's decision not to ban the ruling AKP, officials told Anatolian Agency.

Erdogan earlier on Thursday had a meeting with the Iraqi vice president in the Turkish capital of Ankara. The meeting between Erdogan and al-Hashimi, who is in Ankara for his health problems, at the Swiss Hotel lasted about half an hour, Anatolian Agency reported.

He had a minor nasal surgery at the Gulhane Military Medical Academy.

Photo: DHA