Due to the countries' shared cuisine and the popularity of Turkish TV series, the interest of Iraqi students in the Turkish language departments in universities has increased.

"Turkish is a popular language among Iraqi youth," Turkey's envoy to Baghdad Fatih Yıldız shared on his social media account.

Aware of the interest, Turkey took action in response to the Iraqi demand. The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) completed construction on the Turkish Language and Literature Department of the University of Baghdad while aiming to repair other university buildings in the city as well.

Underlining that the youth will have a big part in rebuilding the country, diplomatic sources said they are aiming to contribute positively to the education of Iraqis. Meanwhile, Yıldız met with students from the Turkish Language and Literature Department of the University of Baghdad. "If the youth's attention to the Turkish Language and Literature Department of the University of Baghdad continues as it is now, the Turkish language department will leave the English language department behind and be the biggest language department of the university," he said.