Erdoğan hails turning point in relations with Iraq
With a spate of deals, particularly the key Development Road project, and a warm welcome, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan lauded a turning point in relations with Iraq as he held talks in Baghdad yesterday
SPEAKING at a joint news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al Sudani yesterday in Baghdad, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said his visit to Iraq and the agreements they signed with the Iraqi government would be a turning point for their relations.
Erdoğan arrived in the Iraqi capital yesterday for a one-day visit, his first since 2011.
As he began his speech at the news conference, Erdoğan thanked the Iraqi “brothers and sisters who made me feel at home.” The president said Iraq was a valuable neighbor and that the two parties had the will to improve relations based on joint interests.
Erdoğan, who was accompanied by a large number of ministers, said the agreements signed during his visit were part of a solid road map for cooperation, highlighting the importance of the Development Road deal he signed with the Iraqi prime minister.
The president stated that they decided to set up joint permanent committees for cooperation in many fields, from counterterrorism, economy, health and transportation to education.
Counterterrorism dominated Erdoğan’s talks in Iraq and the president said they discussed joint steps to be taken on the matter. He said Türkiye appreciated Iraq’s move to declare the PKK a banned organization and was ready to endorse any steps Iraq would take to declare it as a terrorist group. “We will move forward in (the fight) against the PKK together,” he said. “The PKK’s presence in Iraq will end soon,” he added. Erdoğan noted that Türkiye cannot allow attacks from Iraqi soil targeting another country.
SPEAKING at a joint news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al Sudani yesterday in Baghdad, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said his visit to Iraq and the agreements they signed with the Iraqi government would be a turning point for their relations.
Erdoğan has arrived in the Iraqi capital early on Monday for a one-day visit, his first since 2011.
As he began his speech at the news conference, Erdoğan thanked Iraqi “brothers and sisters who made me feel at home.” The president said Iraq was a valuable neighbor and they had the will to improve their relations based on joint interests.
Erdoğan, who was accompanied by a large number of ministers, said the agreements signed during his visit was part of a solid road map for cooperation, highlighting the importance of the Development Road deal he signed with the Iraqi prime minister.
The president stated that they decided to set up joint permanent committees for cooperation in many fields, from counterterrorism, economy, health, and transportation to education.
Counterterrorism dominated Erdoğan’s talks in Iraq and the president said they discussed joint steps to be taken on the matter. He said Türkiye appreciated Iraq’s move to declare PKK a banned organization and was ready to endorse any steps Iraq would take to declare it as a terrorist group. “We will move forward in (the fight) against the PKK together,” he said. “The PKK’s presence in Iraq will end soon,” he added. Erdoğan noted that Türkiye cannot allow attacks from Iraqi soil to another country.
Erdoğan said they also discussed increasing the bilateral trade volume and underlined that they were ready to contribute plans to improve the welfare of Iraq. He said they also discussed the water issue and acknowledged that they were aware of it amid a climate crisis affecting the whole world.
As with his talks with other regional leaders, the Palestine-Israel conflict loomed in Erdoğan’s discussions in Iraq. “We are doing everything to stop the bloodshed, and today, we discussed steps to that extent. Tensions between Israel and Iran aggravates the risk of a spillover of the conflict and overshadows (Israel’s) massacre in Palestine. Türkiye continues its efforts for the establishment of a Palestinian state,” he said.
The president said his next stopover was Irbil and he would also hold talks with the “Turkmen brothers and sisters” in Iraq’s north. “Türkiye does not discriminate among any ethnic and religious community in Iraq. We view Iraq as a whole,” he said.
The two countries signed 24 memorandum of understanding during Erdoğan’s visit.
Before his talks with prime minister, Erdoğan met his Iraqi counterpart Abdul Latif Rashid. Türkiye has certain expectations from Iraq in the fight against PKK terrorists, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan told Rashid, Türkiye’s Directorate of Communications said yesterday. Iraq must be rid of all kinds of terrorism, Erdoğan reportedly said. The pair discussed TurkishIraqi relations, as well as Israel’s attacks on Gaza, and regional and global issues, the directorate said.
Erdoğan also emphasized the importance of straightening out the relations between Baghdad and the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), a semi-autonomous entity that rules the northern parts of Iraq where the PKK terrorist group has an operational and political foothold.
The visit comes after Ankara announced plans to mount a comprehensive military operation against the PKK terrorist group in northern Iraq’s mountainous Qandil region this summer.
The terrorist group is blacklisted as such in Türkiye, the United States and the European Union. It took up arms against the Turkish state in 1984 and more than 40,000 people have been killed in the campaign of violence since then.
The campaign of terrorism and counterterrorism efforts long concentrated in rural areas of southeastern Türkiye but is now more focused on the mountains of northern Iraq.
Türkiye has since 2019 conducted a series of cross-border operations in northern Iraq against the PKK, dubbed “Claw,” the latest of which is the ongoing “Claw-Lock.”
Up until recently, Iraq has said the operations violate its sovereignty, but Ankara says it is protecting its borders where the intention is to establish a 30-40 kilometer security corridor. Earlier this week, it said Claw-Lock would be finalized by this summer.
The president also conveyed to Rashid the necessity for bringing the region’s Turkmen residents to the “position they deserve,” as well. Efforts to stop Israel’s atrocities in Gaza continue, Erdoğan also said, adding that Muslim nations in the meantime “must act together” for it.
DEVELOPMENT ROAD
Erdoğan and Al Sudani also oversaw the signing of a preliminary agreement between Türkiye, Iraq, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to cooperate on the Development Road project. The two leaders witnessed the signing of the four-way memorandum of understanding (MoU) for joint cooperation on the Development Road project, with Qatari and Emirati ministers in attendance, a statement from the prime minister’s office said.
Iraq launched the $17 billion project last year to link a major commodities port on its southern coast by rail and road to the border with Türkiye. The 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) road and rail project aims to turn Iraq into a transit hub, connecting Asia and Europe with a link between Iraq’s Grand Faw Port in the oil-rich south and Türkiye in the north. Bilateral trade was worth $19.9 billion in 2023, down from $24.2 billion in 2022, according to official Turkish data. In the first three months of 2024, Turkish exports to Iraq rose by 24.5%, while imports fell by 46.2%.
IRAQI EXPECTATIONS
For citizens of Iraq, from the capital Baghdad to Irbil in the north governed by the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), the visit is a sign of momentum in Turkish-Iraqi ties and a future of development in a formerly war-torn country.
Salim Jafaar, a resident of Baghdad told Anadolu Agency (AA) ahead of Erdoğan’s arrival that the visit was a reflection of growing ties between two neighboring countries. Jafaar expressed hope that their ties would flourish, especially in trade and economy. Jafaar noted that Turkish products draw huge interest in Iraqi markets and this was a sign of growing ties. Jafaar also said that Türkiye has always been a safe and stable country for Iraqis who are among frequent travelers to the northern neighbor. Iraqis also top the list of foreigners with work and residence permits in Türkiye, according to official figures.
Abdullah Mahmoud, another Iraqi from Baghdad, said he believed Erdoğan’s visit would be a productive step for both countries. He mentioned that Türkiye was a favorable destination for Iraqis and believed that the visit would help Iraq’s development. “We hope it will bring more Turkish companies to Iraq,” he added. Muhammad al-Basrawi said his expectation from the visit was an increase in Turkish imports.
Up north, Iraqis in KRG-controlled areas are also hopeful for the outcome of Erdoğan’s visit. Ali Suhail, a resident of Kirkuk, said the country needs progress in reconstruction and development, and with the visit, a new era may begin. Suhail said Iraq also needs to cooperate to fight against terrorism. Suhail hailed the Republic of Türkiye’s stand with Iraqis in all fields and hoped that Turkish companies would contribute to the development and rebuilding of Kirkuk. Muayyad Abdelaziz, another Kirkuk resident, said Erdoğan’s visit was of utmost significance and it would have an impact on the entire region as well. He said the security and stability of both countries were important and they expected significant deals to be signed between the two countries during the Turkish president’s visit.
Sirvan Necim, who lives in KRG seat Irbil, said the United States and Russia would watch the visit as Erdoğan had influence on regional countries. Necim said he was looking forward to increasing economic ties between Türkiye and the KRG. “Erdoğan’s visit is more significant as it comes at a time of dangerous developments in the region (Israel’s attacks on Gaza and tensions between Israel and Iran),” he added. Necim also expressed hope that the visit may pave the way for oil exports between Iraq and Türkiye.
Dr. Imad Edvar of Irbil said Türkiye had a clout with countries in the region and had “cards in hand.”
“Türkiye has an important geostrategic position and Erdoğan’s visit comes at a sensitive time period for the region,” Edvar told AA.