Reconstruction to top agenda on Turkish FM’s visit to Baghdad and Erbil

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu will begin a two-day visit to Baghdad and Erbil on Thursday, Ankara’s foreign ministry has announced. 

“The minister will be received by Iraqi President Barham Salih and he will meet with Iraqi political leaders and Turkmen representatives,” read a statement from the ministry published early on Wednesday. 

He will then visit Erbil to meet with officials – the first such visit in several years. 

“During the visit, he will address all the dimensions of relations between Turkey and Iraq ... He is expected to focus on bilateral cooperation, especially on the reconstruction of Iraq,” the ministry added. 

During February’s Kuwait conference, Turkey promised to extend $5 billion in lines of credit to help restore Iraq. The county plans to reopen its consulates in Basra and war-torn Mosul. 

Other topics likely to top the agenda are the region’s ongoing water crisis, border security, and oil sales. 

According to the UN, 80 percent of Iraqi water flows in from neighboring countries. Turkey’s major dam projects upstream have had a significant impact on water levels on the Tigris River, contributing to water scarcity in Iraq’s once rich agricultural areas. 

Iraq’s National Security Council is preparing a plan for improving security on the Iraq-Turkey border. The porous border is frequently crossed by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), an armed group which fights for greater political and cultural rights in Turkey. 

Turkey launches regular ground and air attacks against PKK positions inside the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. It has asked for Baghdad and Erbil’s support.

Baghdad and Ankara recently agreed to increase the volume of trade between them from $11 billion to $15 billion. One area where they would like to see growth is the oil sector.

Baghdad shut down the Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline that carried some 300,000 bpd to the Turkish port following the events of October 2017. The pipeline runs through the Kurdistan Region. 

Before leaving office, Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi had said he was keen on exporting oil again, although the aging infrastructure may have to be completely repaired or replaced.

Updated: 10.42 a.m.