Zafer Caðlayan, state minister for foreign trade, will lead the 200 business people to the Kurdistan Region on Tuesday. The minister said he hoped increased economic exchange between Turkey and its Iraqi Kurdish neighbors would help end the tensions.

Minister Caðlayan will meet with Iraqi Kurdish leader Massoud Barzani on Tuesday.

Barzani himself was in Turkey on the 3rd of June in what has been defined as a landmark visit. Tensions were high with Turkey accusing the Kurdistan Regional Government to give shelter to the PKK guerrillas, and above all with Turkey constantly bombing and entering North Iraq.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari slammed "unilateral" Turkish action earlier this month after Turkish troops once again crossed into northern Iraq.

Nevertheless despite the tensions, Turkish entrepreneurs have been keen to do business in northern Iraq. More than 500 businessmen applied to go to northern Iraq, but the capacity is limited to 200. The number does not include those who will cross the border on buses that commercial chambers in southeastern Anatolia are planning to send. 

"Eighty percent of the food and clothes sold in northern Iraq are Turkish products. Turkish contractors are part of many projects in the region," according to minister Çaðlayan.