Turkish president, Syrian FM in Baghdad this week

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Turkish President Abdullah Gul and Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moallem are expected to arrive in Baghdad this week to discuss bilateral relations with Iraq, an official government spokesperson said on Saturday. “The Turkish president will lead a senior delegation to Iraq to discuss mutual relations with Iraqi officials,” Ali al-Dabbagh told IraqiNews.com news agency. Gul is scheduled to meet with Iraqi President Jalal al-Talabani and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki during his two-day visit. Last week, Gul revealed plans to visit Iraq during a meeting with Talabani on the sidelines of the Istanbul-based 5 th World Water Forum. Al-Moallem will also visit Iraq this week to meet with Iraqi officials and to deliver a message from Syrian President Bashar al-Assad about his willingness to develop Iraqi-Syrian relations in preparation for the Doha Arab summit, scheduled to take place later this month, according to Dabbagh. SS (P) 1