Turkish intelligence chief İbrahim Kalın held a meeting with Kurdish leader Bafel Talabani during a visit to Iraq, stressing that the end of Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorism is closer than ever.
According to Turkish security sources, Kalın visited the city of Sulaymaniyah, where he met with Talabani to discuss the necessary steps for the disarmament and dissolution of the PKK, as well as strengthening cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
The meeting also discussed the general security situation in the region, with particular emphasis on developments in Iraq, Syria and the Middle East.
The parties underlined the importance of coordination between Turkish and Kurdish authorities to guarantee regional stability, media reports.
The sources stressed that the process of eliminating the PKK threat is entering a crucial phase and that cooperation with the Kurdish regional authorities is considered a key element in achieving a long-term solution.
Otherwise, the Kurds are the largest people in the world without their own state. It is estimated that about 15 million Kurds live in Turkey, mainly in the southeast of the country.
In 1978, Abdullah Ocalan founded the PKK. Initially, the organization sought the creation of an independent Kurdish state, but later shifted its focus to autonomy and political and cultural rights for Kurds within Turkey. /Telegraph/
