The Turkish president says two leaders mentioned measures each international locations may take towards the PKK armed group.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Baghdad to debate safety, financial and vitality cooperation.
At a joint information convention on Monday, Erdogan stated the 2 leaders mentioned steps the 2 international locations may take towards the armed group Kurdistan Employees Occasion (PKK) and welcomed Iraq’s designation of the PKK as banned group.
Erdogan stated he had shared his agency perception that the PKK’s presence on Iraqi territory would finish as quickly as doable. The Turkish president stated that safety cooperation and the struggle towards “terrorism” was one of the necessary subjects on the agenda throughout his conferences in Iraq.
The PKK, which has fought a decades-long insurrection towards the Turkish state and is taken into account a “terrorist” group by Ankara and its Western allies, has a presence in northern Iraq.
Since 2019, Turkey has carried out a sequence of cross-border operations in northern Iraq towards the PKK, nicknamed “Claw.”
Al-Sudani stated Turkey and Iraq mentioned safety cooperation and agreed to handle the problem of non-state armed actors who may cooperate with “terrorist” teams.
The 2 sides signed a strategic framework settlement to supervise safety, vitality and financial cooperation, in addition to a 10-year settlement on water sources administration that ensures Iraq will get its justifiable share, the Iraqi prime minister added.
Throughout Erdogan’s go to, the Turkish president and the Iraqi prime minister additionally witnessed the signing of a preliminary settlement by the international locations’ associated ministers to cooperate on a $17 billion Improvement Freeway mission.
Erdogan additionally stated on the press convention that Ankara plans to increase mutual commerce (and cooperation in vitality, well being and tourism) with Iraq.
The Iraqi prime minister stated 24 memorandums of understanding had been signed throughout Erdogan’s one-day go to.
“I imagine that my go to and the agreements we’ve got simply signed will represent a brand new turning level in Turkey-Iraq relations,” Erdogan stated on the press convention.
Assembly with Rashid
The Turkish chief earlier met with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid in Baghdad. He instructed Rashid that Turkey “had expectations from Iraq relating to the struggle towards the PKK terrorist group, and that Iraq should eliminate all types of terrorism,” in accordance with his workplace.
Erdogan’s journey comes amid rising regional tensions, fueled by Israel’s conflict in Gaza and a confrontation between Israel and Iran.
The Turkish president reiterated his name to all events concerned to chorus from growing tensions within the Center East.
Bilateral commerce between Turkey and Iraq amounted to $19.9 billion in 2023, up from $24.2 billion in 2022, in accordance with official Turkish knowledge.
Within the first three months of 2024, Turkish exports to Iraq elevated by 24.5 %, whereas imports fell by 46.2 %.
After the conferences in Baghdad, Erdogan was scheduled to journey to Erbil, the provincial capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdish area of northern Iraq, for talks with Iraqi Kurdish officers whose commerce and safety had been excessive on the agenda.
