Ankara, Baghdad to sign agreement allowing Turkish forces to intrude into Iraq

PanARMENIAN.Net - Turkey and Iraq are to sign an anti-terrorism agreement aimed at increasing cooperation between the two countries against Kurdish rebels which cross into Turkey from bases in northern Iraq.



Iraqi Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani confirmed that a deal had been reached and that the final details would be completed by Thursday when the agreement is due to be signed.



Al-Bolani was in Ankara for talks with his Turkish counterpart Beshir Atalay.



Turkey is seeking a deal that would allow its forces to cross into Iraq in pursuit of rebels from the Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK). Turkey is also seeking that the Iraqi security forces arrest and deport more than 100 PKK leaders known to be in Iraq.



Turkey has threatened to launch a full-scale military incursion into northern Iraq if U.S. or Iraqi forces do not take steps to destroy PKK bases, RosBusinessConsulting reports.