Turkey, Iraq agree on opening second border gate

ISTANBUL – Turkey and Iraq have agreed to open a second border gate and its construction will begin once the necessary security measures are taken, Turkey's customs minister said on Thursday.

"I had the impression that the Iraqi government agrees that there should be a second border gate", Bulent Tufenkci told Anadolu news agency.

He said the planned gate would be near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, in a region where Islamic State and Kurdish PKK militants still pose a security threat. "Once steps are taken to secure the path, there is no other obstacle for us," he said.