Turkish President Gul Visits Troops on Iraq Border

Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Friday made a surprise visit to Turkey’s southeast to inspect troops on the Iraq border and boost the morale of soldiers.

The president, accompanied by Chief of General Staff Gen. Necdet Ozel, visited troops in the Yuksekova district of the border city of Hakkari.

Media reports, citing sources working for the office of the presidency, said the visit aimed to boost the morale of soldiers and that the president’s visit will not be limited to Yuksekova. He will reportedly visit troops in other areas along the border.

Turkey has recently seen increased violence in the Southeast by the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). The group, classified as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union, has killed more than 50 people, including civilians, in the past couple of months.

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