President George W. Bush will discuss with Turkish President Abdullah Gul efforts to counter Kurdish rebels when they meet at the White House on January 8th, the White House said today.
It will be Mr Gul's first visit to Washington after being elected president in August, and the meeting comes amid regional tensions over cross-border attacks.
Turkey has been conducting raids to strike at rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in northern Iraq who have mounted attacks inside Turkey.
"The president looks forward to establishing a good relationship with President Gul and discussing issues of mutual concern, including our efforts to counter the PKK," White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said.
They also planned to discuss Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, the Middle East, and advancing Turkey's efforts to join the European Union which the United States supports, he said.
Mr Bush will meet Mr Gul shortly before leaving for a trip to the Middle East.