By NNN-KUNA
Baghdad : Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki has indicated to his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the importance of respect for Iraq’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, and that Turkey should avoid military actions against the PKK militants.
Al-Maliki said in the telephone conversation with Erdogan Thursday that the Iraqi government was supporting the security and stability of Turkey, stating that the “terrorist Kurdistan Workers Party is posing a threat on Turkey and border areas,” government spokesman Ali Dabbagh said.
Al-Maliki told Erdogan that his government favoured dialogue with Turkey to boost security and stability on the border region, Dabbagh told KUNA.
Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul, also held a phone conversation earlier Thursday on the situation in northern Iraq.
The Turkish military is amassing troops on the borders with Iraq ready for orders to carry out wide-scale offensive against the PKK militants.