In a bid to strengthen bilateral relations and tackle shared challenges, Türkiye and Iraq wrapped up their 5th High-Level Security Mechanism meeting with a joint statement emphasizing political unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
Held in Antalya on Sunday, the meeting saw key officials from both nations underscore their commitment to enhancing coordination across several critical sectors.
Türkiye's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, National Defense Minister Yaşar Güler, Intelligence Chief Ibrahim Kalın, and Deputy Interior Minister Münir Karaloğlu attended, alongside Iraq's Foreign Minister Fuad Hüseyin.
The two sides reaffirmed their determination to improve collaboration in areas like military affairs, border security, counterterrorism, energy, and infrastructure projects, particularly the Development Road Project, which aims to connect Asia and Europe through an integrated network of railways, roads, ports, and cities.
A highlight of the meeting was the planned visit of Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to Türkiye on May 8, where the two nations will convene the next High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council meeting.
This visit will be critical in advancing institutional cooperation between the two countries.
The discussions also focused on security concerns, particularly the threat posed by the PKK, a terrorist group that has long carried out attacks in Türkiye, using northern Iraq as a base for cross-border assaults.
Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining robust coordination to combat this shared threat, emphasizing the importance of implementing PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan's recent call for the group's dissolution and the laying down of arms.
The two sides expressed their intention to jointly address humanitarian crises, notably in the Al-Hol and Roj camps in Syria.
A new committee is set to be formed to address the growing urgency of the situation in these camps.
Additionally, the joint statement highlighted the parties' support for the establishment of a joint operations center as part of the “Quint Mechanism,” a counterterrorism initiative launched in Amman in March with Syria and neighboring countries.
The statement also expressed serious concerns over Israel's actions in Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria, and welcomed the positive developments from recent talks between U.S. and Iranian delegations in Oman.
Both countries believe that continued dialogue is crucial for achieving a peaceful resolution to ongoing conflicts.
