The U.S. secretary of defense is visiting NATO ally Turkey. He arrived in the Turkish capital, Ankara, after attending a withdrawal ceremony Thursday in Bagdad of American troops all of whom are due to leave by the end of the month. With the U.S. withdrawal, Turkey is now being seen by Washington as playing a potential key role in Iraq.
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is spending two days in Turkey meeting the country's political leadership, with Iraq expected to be a key topic on the agenda.
The NATO allies are already increasingly cooperating in the region.
Last month, the U.S. transferred drones from Iraq to the Turkish airbase of Incirlik close to the Iraqi border.
International relations expert Soli Ozel of Kadir Ha
