Iraq is finalizing the purchase of 20 air defense systems from Turkey after drone and missile strikes hit the country amid a US-Israeli confrontation with Iran that has been paused by a fragile ceasefire, The National reported Wednesday, citing a senior Iraqi defense official.
Lt. Gen. Saad Harbiye, Iraq’s deputy army chief of staff for operations, told the outlet at the Saha defense show in İstanbul that Iraqi skies had been “filled with drones” and that new systems were needed to protect oil fields, diplomatic missions and other targets.
“New air defences against drones have become really important for Iraq,” Harbiye said.
Harbiye declined to disclose the value of the deal or identify the Turkish suppliers but said the companies involved were state-owned enterprises, according to The National.
He said Iraq chose Turkish systems because they were effective, less costly and made by a neighboring country.
The report said the deal had been under discussion before the Iran conflict but gained urgency after strikes hit Iraqi territory beginning in late February.
Iraq was caught between the sides during the conflict, with the US and Israel striking sites linked to Iran-backed Iraqi militia groups and Iran launching drones and missiles across the border, The National reported.
The attacks hit oil fields, a Baghdad hotel housing diplomatic missions and Iranian opposition groups based in the Kurdistan region, killing scores of people, according to the report.
Iraq depends on oil exports for most government revenue and has sought to present itself as stable after decades of conflict, including the 2003 US invasion and the later rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Harbiye said Iraq and Turkey had signed a contract and were finalizing financial details during the İstanbul defense show, where he met with Turkish Defense Minister Yaşar Güler.
Turkey’s defense ministry confirmed the meeting on X, while a ministry official did not immediately respond to The National’s request for comment.
Harbiye said counter-drone capability was central to the deal because many systems use costly interceptor missiles against drones that are far cheaper to produce.
He also said Iraq was exploring closer cooperation with Turkey on cybersecurity.
The planned purchase comes as Ankara and Baghdad have sought closer defense and economic ties after years of tension over the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a militant group based in northern Iraq that Turkey and its Western allies designate as a terrorist organization.
Turkey has pressed Iraq to take stronger action against the PKK, while the two countries have also discussed water, oil exports and a proposed trade route linking Turkey to the Gulf.
Harbiye also said ISIS still had members in Mosul, Anbar and Kirkuk but described their numbers as “very small,” adding that Iraqi forces had not intercepted recent communications among them.