In what I consider to be a very significant step forward, Iraq and Turkey have agreed to take some positive steps to resolve issues along their common border. On 29 June Turkey hosted a cooperative borders meeting in the city of Silopi; the topic was to discuss border issues and strengthen cooperation efforts between the 2 countries.
The principals were the Turkish corps commander in the area, Lt. Gen. Altinas, and the commander of the Iraqi Directorate of Border Enforcement, Lt. Gen. Mushin. Some senior US officers were there, too. The meeting included visits to both Turkish and Iraqi border outposts. Both sides agreed to regular meetings to discuss such things as secondary border crossing points, enhancing trade, and the sharing of border security information. This is real progress!
