Sunni Muslim mosques in the Iraqi capital are closed Saturday, to protest sectarian violence.
Sunni clerics ordered the three-day closure to protest what they call deliberate killings of some of their preachers by members of a Shi'ite militia. The militia has denied the charge.
Meanwhile, Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari wrapped up a visit to neighboring Turkey.
Mr. al-Jaafari discussed a wide range of topics with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other officials.
Turkey is especially concerned about Kurdish separatists in northern Iraq, and Mr. al-Jaafari pledged that Iraq will not allow "any group to harm" Turkey. He also said Kirkuk will continue to reflect Iraq's diverse demographic makeup and will remain a part of a united Iraq.
For his part, Mr. Erdogan said Turkey seeks to end the use of Iraq as what he called a "virtual terrorism training ground."
Some information for this report provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
