PM Barzani meets with Erdogan in Istanbul

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani arrived in Istanbul on Friday, discussing the situation in Iraq and enhancing bilateral relations.

“Today in Istanbul, I met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. We discussed developments in Iraq and the region, bilateral relations between the Kurdistan Region and Turkey, and expanding cooperation to promote security and stability. We emphasized developing relations in all sectors, particularly in trade and investment,” Barzani said in a Facebook post late Friday. 



Erdogan’s office has not yet commented on Barzani’s trip.

Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani met with Erdogan on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum on March 12.

Ankara and Erbil enjoy great economic relations, and most of the Kurdistan Region's crude oil is marketed through Turkey's pipelines.

President Barzani and Erdogan met in Ankara on February 2.

"The meeting focused on bilateral relations of Turkey with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, reaffirming the mutual willingness to further strengthen the important commercial and economic ties between the two sides," read a statement from Barzani’s office at the time.

Erdogan later told reporters that his country is seeking a win-win deal to export natural gas from Iraq, adding that President Barzani had promised him on the trip to facilitate talks