Turkey seeks strategic dialogue mechanism with Iraq

Babacan told in the joint press conference with Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Store that the strategic dialogue mechanism would be led by the prime ministers of the two countries.

"The mechanism will be comprised of several ministers (besides the prime ministers) from the two countries," Babacan said, adding a Turkish delegation, which would visit Iraq, would discuss the infrastructure of this mechanism with Iraqi officials. Â

Babacan's remarks came two days after Turkey signaled a policy shift in its relations with the Kurdish administration in northern Iraq.

Meanwhile Iraq's Vice-President Tariq Al Hashimi is set to arrive in Ankara on Wednesday. Al-Hashimi will meet Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan on bilateral relations, the PKK issue and regional developments.

Sunni Arab Iraqi politician Ayad al-Samarrai, chairman of the Iraqi Accordance Front, will accompany Al-Hashimi during his three-day visit.