Turkish FM arrives in Iraq's Kurdistan on unannounced visit

Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu arrived Sunday in Arbil, the capital of Iraq's Kurdish region, in a surprise visit a day before the heads of Iraqi political blocs are to hold a crucial meeting in the city to solve the country's political crisis, an official Iraqi television reported.

Davutoglu was received at Arbil airport by Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdish regional government, before heading to a meeting with Barzani and the autonomous region's Prime Minister Barham Saleh, the state-run television of Iraqia said.

In a brief at the airport, Davutoglu told reporters that he appreciates Barzani's initiative to gather all the Iraqi political leaders "as a good step to solve the political crisis and to discuss the formation of the new government," the channel said.

"We hope soon to see all Iraqi political groups gathering around a table to pave the way for the formation of a new government," Davutoglu was quoted as saying.

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