Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will pay an official visit to neighboring Iraq in April, the first in 13 years, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported, citing a deputy minister.
Deputy Foreign Minister Ahmet Yıldız said it is time for Erdoğan to visit Baghdad, where he last paid an official visit as prime minister in March 2011, adding that it would take place before the end of April. His remarks were made in Baghdad on Wednesday where he visited the Turkish Embassy and a Turkish cultural center.
Yıldız said he would have talks with Iraqi foreign ministry officials on Thursday on Turkish-Iraqi relations and preparations for Erdoğan’s visit as well as an upcoming meeting between the foreign ministers of both countries.
Ankara and Baghdad have had a relationship filled with ups and downs over the years despite enjoying the benefits of economic cooperation. One of the most pressing issues is the presence of outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants and bases in the north of the country. Turkey frequently conducts military operations against the PKK, listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey and much of the international community, in northern Iraq.
Turkey’s military operations in northern Iraq sometimes lead to civilian casualties and accusations of violation of sovereignty by the Iraqi administration.
The deputy minister also talked about the Development Road Project, a $17 billion initiative aimed at bolstering connectivity between Turkey and Iraq. He said the project, if realized, would yield many gains for Turkey and Iraq by increasing the countries’ connectivity.
“Turkey is a big economy and a neighbor of Europe. Iraq was also big economy [before the war], and it will hopefully become one again,” said the minister.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan unveiled the project, spanning 1,200 kilometers, in January. It will primarily involve Turkey and Iraq, with Turkey hosting nearly a tenth of the infrastructure.
A significant link between Asia and Europe, the project is set to establish a network of railways and highways, linking the Grand Faw Port in southern Iraq to Turkey’s border and further extending into Europe.
Turkish officials due at Thursday security meeting in Iraq
Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Öncü Keçeli told reporters on Wednesday that Fidan, Defense Minister Yasar Güler and spy chief İbrahim Kalın will all attend a security meeting in Baghdad on Thursday, Agence France-Presse reported.
“Security and military cooperation will be a priority during the talks,” said Keçeli, adding that joint counterterrorism steps would also be discussed.
“We see Iraqi authorities’ portrayal of the PKK as a common security threat as a sign that Iraq has started to show the resolve to fight the PKK,” the spokesman said.
Over the past 25 years Turkey has operated several dozen military bases in northern Iraq in its war against the PKK.
Last week, President Erdoğan said Turkey will have permanently resolved problems related to the Iraqi border “this summer.”
Keçeli also said he hoped an oil pipeline between Turkey and Iraq that was shut down in March 2023 would reopen “as soon as possible.”
The details will be discussed during Erdoğan’s upcoming visit to Iraq, he added.