SULAIMANI, Kurdistan Region — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Baghdad on Monday for an official visit to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region.
Welcomed by Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani at Baghdad International Airport, the aim of President Erdogan’s visit is to strengthening bilateral relations and achieving significant agreements.
The visit comes after months of extensive preparations between the two nations, marked by numerous diplomatic delegations traveling between their respective countries. The primary objective of the visit is to enhance bilateral relations across various domains.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that preliminary agreements have been made to finalize over 20 agreements during Erdogan’s visit to Iraq. He emphasized Turkey’s aim for stability, security, and prosperity in the region, affirming that their relations will align with these objectives, and they will spare no effort towards achieving them.
Spokesperson for the Iraqi government, Bassim al-Awadi, said in a statement that Erdogan’s visit marks a significant milestone in Iraqi-Turkish relations. During the visit, two strategic agreements and 20 memoranda of understanding will be signed. Among these, a key strategic agreement will focus on water management.
Additionally, he expressed optimism about finalizing a quadrilateral agreement pertaining to the “Development Road” project, involving Iraq, Turkey, Qatar, and the UAE.
Awadi also stressed that both Iraq and Turkey are aligned in their commitment to addressing shared security challenges, while acknowledging the critical importance of water management for Iraq and security concerns for Turkey.
