Turkey closes crossing point with northern Iraq

Turkey yesterday closed the main border crossing point with northern Iraq before the trade traffic.

Turkish officials said that it was decided to close "Habour" border point before all vehicles except those of the UN which transport the needs of the American forces positioned in northern Iraq. The Turkish officials added they are implementing a decision issued in Ankara Tuesday late night.

The spokesman for the Turkish foreign ministry Hussein Dereiyuz stressed the closure decision came as a result of the unrest on the Iraqi side of the border which is controlled by a Kurdish group. He indicted that there is a certain incident on the Iraqi side of the border which resulted in closure from the two sides, noting that there are underway talks to open the border.