Around 30 intergovernmental agreements are expected to be signed during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's upcoming visit to Iraq on April 22. The most important agreements will concern joint efforts to clear northern Iraq of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK, banned by Ankara), Hurriyet newspaper reported.
At the talks in Baghdad and Erbil in Iraqi Kurdistan, it is also planned to discuss the structure and functioning of a joint operation center to fight terrorism, the establishment of permanent Turkish bases in northern Iraq for a depth of 30-40 km and zones for security in the areas of Hakurk, Metina, Zap and Gara, where the main bases of the PKK are located.
In Turkey, Erdogan's visit to Iraq is getting a lot of attention in the context of previously announced plans to finally resolve the terrorist problem along the southern borders. Following Erdogan's visit to Iraq, the Turkish military may conduct a major cross-border operation in the northern part of the neighboring country, according to local media reports. He previously stated that by the summer, Turkey will take control of the entire border line with Iraq.