Chaos in Iraq, the constant threat of violence and kidnappings by the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham is forcing Turkish contractors to leave the country together with their employees, with many suspending their construction projects.

When Turkish firms operating in Iraq pulled their workers out, investment projects in the country came to a halt. Most of the foreign firms in Iraq operate in oil fields while the construction business in the country is carried out mostly by Turkish firms. Turkey was known as the country with the highest number of workers in the country. Before the conflict, 300 Turkish firms with 10,000 workers were carrying out important projects in not only Baghdad but also Mosul, Salahaddin, Anbar and Basra.

Baghdad Stadium, Baghdad Shopping Centre and many hospital and facility projects, which were being conducted by Turkish constructions firms, have goneuncompleted.

Compared to other 15 provinces in the country, Irbil, Suleimaniyyah and Duhok provinces of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) are safe and projects still continue in those provinces.