Iraqi Kurdish leader in Ankara

The leader of one of the two main Kurdish factions in northern Iraq, Jalal Talabani, is expected to meet the Turkish Prime Minister, Bulent Ecevit, later today Wednesday.

Mr Talabani, who heads the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, is also expected to hold talks with western diplomats in the capital, Ankara.

Mr Talabani told the Turkish authorities yesterday Tuesday he would co-operate fully in any operation against his rivals, the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.

He described their estimated eight-thousand fighters as a destabilising influence in the region.

However, he denied asking for military aid. Turkey has acknowledged it is providing his group with what it calls technical assistance, but says it plans no large-scale incursion.

On Monday, Mr Talabani met leaders of another Iraqi Kurdish group, the Democratic Party of Kurdistan, for the first time in three years.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service