, in Ankara on Wednesday, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.){kind=link}
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Nechirvan Barzani, head of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), in Ankara on Wednesday, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
The closed-door meeting at Erdoğan’s presidential palace took place after Barzani had talks with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and National Intelligence Organization (MİT) chief İbrahim Kalın earlier in the day.
The leaders discussed bilateral ties and regional developments at the meeting, also attended by Fidan, Anadolu reported.
According to a statement from the Presidency’s Directorate of Communications, Erdoğan told Barzani that Israel’s increasing aggression has the risk of turning the entire Middle East region into “a battlefield.”
“Therefore, Turkey appreciates Iraqi authorities’ efforts to keep their country out of the conflict,” the Turkish president added.
The statement also said that Erdoğan expressed the need to maintain cooperation to “permanently eliminate the threat of terrorism in this troubled period” and promised that Turkey would continue standing with Iraq and its people.
Another fruitful meeting with my friends, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Mr. Ibrahim Kalin today in Ankara. We shared views on a variety of issues of mutual interests and concerns. pic.twitter.com/sRYqIcHYMm
— Nechirvan Barzani (@IKRPresident) October 16, 2024
Local media reports said the meeting’s agenda also included Turkey’s demands for more robust action against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies, in northern Iraq.
Barzani’s visit comes at a time of intensifying Turkish operations targeting the PKK’s main headquarters and training facilities located in the Kandil Mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan.
Another key topic was expected to be the upcoming parliamentary elections in the KRG region, according to the Habertürk news website.
The visit takes place against the backdrop of increasing security cooperation between Turkey and Iraq. In August the two nations signed a security agreement that includes the creation of joint military centers in Baghdad and Bashiqa, near Mosul. The agreement outlines collaboration in areas such as military and police training, intelligence exchange and border security measures.
As part of the deal Turkey lifted visa requirements for Iraqi citizens under 15 and over 50 starting in September.