ANKARA
Iraq's President Fuad Masum started his official visit to Turkey with a stopover at the Anitkabir, the resting place of Turkey's founding leader Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
Masum left a wreath of red and white carnations at Ataturk's tomb and then headed to a special room to write in Ataturk's Memorial Book in Arabic.
“The Iraqi people admire Turkey’s achievements and developments in politics and in economics, as well as other fields. Hence, we must mention the main role of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey,” Masum wrote.
Iraqi President Fuad Masum, along with a high-level governmental delegation, will discuss regional and international developments, especially the fight against Daesh.
“The Iraqi president will discuss bilateral relations with his Turkish counterpart (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) in the visit between April 21 and 23, as well as the ongoing issues in the region, especially the coordination to combat Daesh,” Khaled Shawani, the Iraqi presidency’s spokesman, told The Anadolu Agency on Tuesday.
Shawani also said that Masum will hold a meeting with Turkish PM Ahmet Davutoglu and Turkey’s Parliament Speaker Cemil Cicek.
"Iraq's President Masum will participate in the Peace Summit, within the scope of the centennial anniversary of the Canakkale Wars of 1915," a statement from the Turkish presidency said.
Iraq seeks more military support from Western and neighboring countries in combating Daesh.
Turkey has been one of the prominent supporters of the Iraqi government, providing military training and arming, as well as humanitarian aid.
