Iraq says talks with Turkey to end row going 'extremely well'

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Iraq's U.N. ambassador on Tuesday appeared to play down a dispute between Baghdad and Ankara over the deployment of Turkish troops in northern Iraq, saying bilateral talks between the neighbouring states to end the row were proceeding favourably. "We are solving it between Baghdad and Ankara bilaterally," Iraqi Ambassador Mohamed Ali Alhakim told reporters after Russia raised the Turkish deployment during a closed-door meeting of the United Nations Security Council. "We have not yet escalated it to the Security Council or to the United Nations." "For us what is helpful is the bilateral discussion going on right now between Baghdad and Ankara, and it's going extremely well," he said, adding that Moscow had not consulted with Baghdad before raising the issue in the council. Alhakim reiterated that Iraq wanted the Turkish troops withdrawn. (Reporting by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Chris Reese)