The strengthening ties between Türkiye and Iraq will serve as a pillar of regional stability, according to Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed S. Al Sudani, who arrived in Ankara on Thursday to meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
Erdoğan received Al Sudani with an official ceremony at the Presidential Complex.
Al Sudani greeted the military procession at the gates of the complex as he and Erdoğan walked the pathway flanked by Iraqi and Turkish officials, as well as flags.
The two leaders are leading inter-delegation meetings before holding a one-on-one meeting, overseeing the signing of bilateral agreements and addressing a joint press conference.
Speaking at the "FOCUS: Türkiye-Iraq Relations" program hosted by Anadolu Agency (AA) in the capital ahead of the meetings, Al Sudani said his government wants Türkiye-Iraq ties to serve as a pillar of regional stability.
"We want Türkiye-Iraq ties to be part of the regional stability equation," he said, highlighting the broader geopolitical significance of cooperation between the two neighbors.
Al Sudani also criticized Israel's prime minister and warned of rising regional tensions. "The Netanyahu government is trying to drag the region into the flames of war," he said.
During the event, held at AA headquarters, Al Sudani offered a comprehensive assessment of Türkiye-Iraq relations, addressing their bilateral, regional and international dimensions.
The Development Road project is one of the “most important initiatives in the Middle East,” Al Sudani said, emphasizing its potential to reshape regional connectivity and economic integration.
The Development Road is a major trade route linking Iraq and Türkiye through railways, roads, ports and cities.
Spanning 1,200 kilometers (745 miles), the railway and highway will connect the Great Faw Port, which aims to become the largest port in the Middle East.
Baghdad says it is eager to maintain the momentum of relations with Ankara.
The two countries last month held a meeting of the High-Level Security Mechanism on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in southern Türkiye. In a joint statement after the meeting, they reaffirmed their determination to enhance coordination and cooperation in all bilateral areas, including military affairs, border security, counterterrorism, the defense industry, energy, water and the ongoing Development Road project.
In light of the common threat posed by the PKK to both countries, the countries underscored the importance of implementing the recent call by PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan for the group to dissolve and lay down its arms.
In its 40-year terror campaign against Türkiye, the PKK – listed as a terror organization by Türkiye, the U.S. and the EU – has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. PKK terrorists often hide out in northern Iraq to plot cross-border attacks in Türkiye.
Ankara and Baghdad signed a series of security cooperation agreements during a landmark visit by Erdoğan to Iraq last year in April, mainly against the PKK, as well as Daesh terrorists threatening both nations.
Türkiye, which maintains dozens of bases in northern Iraq, has mounted several cross-border operations against the PKK in the region since 2019. Yet, these operations were criticized by Baghdad for “violating its sovereignty.” The difference of opinion led the two countries to explore new ways for cooperation to overcome the joint threat.
Ankara has asked Iraq for more cooperation in combating the PKK, and Baghdad has banned the group from operating in the country, ordered all state institutions to refer to the PKK as a "banned group" in official correspondence and set up two military bases in the Zakho region after Erdoğan’s visit.
