Turkey to train Iraqi Kurdish fighters

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) Turkey will train Iraqi Kurdish Peshmerga forces to fight Islamic State militants in Iraq, local Hurriyet Daily News reported on Friday.

Turkey and the Iraqi Kurdistan Regional Government have been in cooperation for a training program in northern Iraq for a month, according to the daily report.

Turkey would continue support Iraqi Kurds, including training Peshmerga force, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu was quoted as saying on Friday.

As part of his official visit to Iraq on Friday, the Turkish prime minster had talks with Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani in Erbil. At a joint press conference with Barzani, Davutoglu said the security of entire Iraq, including the Iraqi Kurdish region, is of vital importance to Turkey.

“Turkey will give all kinds of support to the Kurdish region,” the Turkish prime minister said.

Asked if the Turkish army had started to train Peshmerga forces, Davutoglu said “our support, including this (training), will increasingly continue.”

During his visit to northern Iraq, Davutoglu went to Peshmerga military training camp in Diana and a refugee camp in Zakho, official Anadolu Agency reported on Friday.

Ankara recently allowed some 150 Peshmerga fighters to cross through Turkish territory to help the Kurdish-populated Syrian city of Ayn al-Arab, also know as Kobane. /End/