Turkish Officials Make Historic Visit to Erbil

New Consulate Underscores Pledges of Cooperation

WASHINGTON, Oct. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Turkey will open a diplomatic
consulate in Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), as part
of the increased political and economic cooperation between the longtime
neighbors.

The future consulate was announced by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmed
Davutoglu, who visited the KRI on Friday as part of Ankara's efforts to end a
conflict with Kurdish rebels based across its southern border. Davutoglu's
visit to Erbil was the first by a Turkish minister to the Kurdistan region and
he said he felt right at home.

"It's high time for everyone to take bold steps," Davutoglu said. "Arabs,
Turks, Kurds, Shiites and Sunnis, we will all together rebuild the Middle
East."

Davutoglu was joined by Turkish Trade Minister Zafer Caglayan and a delegation
of around 70 officials and businessmen, who were met at Erbil International
Airport by the Kurdistan Regional Government's Prime Minister Barham Salih and
Iraq's Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari.

Turkish businesses already overwhelmingly account for the number of new
investors in the KRI since the region was liberated in 2003. To highlight the
growing ties, Turkey announced it would open two new border crossings with
Iraq.

Turkish-Iraqi ties have gathered steam since the two nations formed a joint
committee with the United States in November 2008 to discuss and act upon
joint security issues. The committee meets every two months to exchange
intelligence and to coordinate security measures against cross-border attacks
and related concerns.

Masoud Barzani, the president of the KRI, hosted a dinner for the Turkish
delegation and praised their visit. "The decision to open a consulate general
in Erbil is an extremely positive development for the region," President
Barzani said. "Turkey's role is important for the future of the region and the
future growth of economic ties. The region of Kurdistan plays the role of a
bridge for Iraq as this region is one with stability."

This has been distributed by Qorvis Communications, LLC on behalf of the
Kurdistan Regional Government. More information is available at the US
Department of Justice, Washington, DC.

SOURCE The Kurdistan Region of Iraq

Renate Geerlings, +1-202-255-2744, rgeerlings@qorvis.com, The Kurdistan Region
of Iraq