ANKARA, March 15 (Xinhuanet) -- Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Iraqi Kurdistan Democrat Party (IKDP) leader Massaud Barzani have been invited to Turkey for a Kurdish holiday celebration later this month, semi-official Anatolia News Agency reported on Wednesday.

    "We have invited Iraqi Kurdistan Democrat Party (IKDP) leader Massaud Barzani as leader of Kurdistan Autonomous Region, and Patriotic Union of Iraqi Kurdistan (PUK) leader Jalal Talabani as the President of Iraq to participate in Nevruz celebrations," Turkish Nevruz Committee Chairman Necdet Atalay was quoted as saying.

    The holiday celebrations are to be held in Turkey's southeastern province of Diyarbakir on March 21, said Atalay. He also said that they have made formal applications to Diyarbakir Governor's Office for the celebrations and are waiting for a response.

    "We have invited many people, including journalists, authors, artists and diplomats for the celebrations," said Atalay. Nevruz is a Kurdish holiday symbolizing the beginning of spring. The holiday is being celebrated in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan as a "national feast". Enditem