Iraqi ministerial delegation visits Ankara for strategic talks

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - A high-level Iraqi delegation arrived in Ankara on Wednesday and is set to meet with their Turkish counterparts the following day for talks on security and joint strategy plans between Ankara and Baghdad. The meeting is the first between the two sides since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s historic visit to Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in April.

The Turkish foreign ministry announced on Wednesday that Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein is leading a delegation to meet with Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan. 

Hussein said in a post on X late Wednesday that he and his delegation arrived in Ankara, adding that they will discuss a range of issues with the Turkish side, including those related security and counter-terrorism.

According to a statement from the Turkish foreign ministry, the visit will see the first meeting of the "Türkiye-Iraq Joint Planning Group" that was established through "The Strategic Framework Agreement for Joint Cooperation Between Türkiye and Iraq."

During Erdogan’s visit in April, both governments signed over 20 memoranda of understanding (MoUs). For his part, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani said that the MoUs were signed in different sectors, describing them as a “roadmap for sustainable cooperation” in all aspects.

Additionally, Iraq and Turkey are prepared to hold their fourth round of high-level security meetings. According to the statement, Hussein and Fidan also will co-chair the meeting with security and defense officials from both sides in attendance. Iraq's Defense Minister Thabet al-Abbasi and Turkish counterpart Yasar Guler are also expected to participate.

The rare visit to Iraq by the Turkish presidential delegation took Ankara-Baghdad relations to another stage, primarily in relation to security cooperation. Since then, Iraq has taken several actions against the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), including banning the group and closing three political parties with alleged ties to it.

The visit comes as Ankara has intensified its border operations with the Kurdistan Region, deploying a large number of troops to Duhok province since mid-June, targeting alleged PKK positions.

In July, Iraq’s National Security Council rejected Ankara’s “incursions” and called on its northern neighbor to respect its sovereignty.

The two neighboring countries enjoy strong economic and strategic ties. In April, the two sides signed a MoU regarding the multi-billion dollar Development Road project, which stretches from southern Iraq to Turkey and aims to connect the Persian Gulf with Europe.