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Turkish FM to visit Iraq for talks on security, trade.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will meet Iraqi leaders in Baghdad on Sunday to discuss regional security, counterterrorism efforts and economic cooperation, officials said Saturday, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
Fidan is scheduled to meet with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid, Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein. The talks will focus on stabilizing the region amid Israel’s war in Gaza, joint measures against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) — designated a terrorist group by Turkey and banned by Iraq— and advancing the $17 billion Development Road project connecting Iraq to Turkey and Gulf states.
Diplomatic sources told Anadolu that Fidan will reaffirm Ankara’s support for Iraq’s sovereignty and emphasize the need to eliminate PKK operations in northern Iraq, where the group has long maintained bases. The Iraqi government banned the PKK in March 2024 following a security agreement with Turkey, but Ankara insists Baghdad must take “decisive steps” to fully eradicate the militants.
The visit follows Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s landmark trip to Iraq in April 2024, which aimed to reset relations through water-sharing deals, energy partnerships and a pledge to boost bilateral trade, which currently stands at near $20 billion. Fidan is expected to address barriers to commercial ties and advocate for the rights of Iraqi Turkmens, particularly in the city of Kirkuk.
Turkey also seeks to prevent spillover from the war in Gaza and Syria’s instability from destabilizing Iraq. Officials said Fidan will encourage dialogue between the governments of Iraq and Syria, both increasingly aligned with Iran, to ease regional tensions.
The Development Road project, a rail and road network stretching from Iraq’s southern ports to Turkey, remains a centerpiece of economic plans. Critics, however, question its feasibility amid Iraq’s political divisions and Turkey’s ongoing military operations against Kurdish militants.
Iraq is a top export market for Turkey, but disputes over oil exports from the Kurdish region and water rights on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers have periodically strained relations.
Additional topics include humanitarian aid for Gaza and the resumption of talks over a stalled Iraq-Turkey oil pipeline, which has been offline since 2023 due to arbitration disputes.
Turkish minute