Iraqi media hails Turkish president's visit to Baghdad, Erbil as historic

By Ibrahim al-Khazen

ISTANBUL (AA) - Iraqi media outlets hailed the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Iraq, calling it "historic" for bilateral relations.

On Monday evening, Erdogan concluded his official visit to Baghdad and Erbil, during which several agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoU) were signed between the two countries to enhance ties in several fields.

In Baghdad, the Turkish president met with Iraq's top leaders, including President Abdul Latif Rashid and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.

While in Erbil, Erdogan met the northern Iraq Kurdish Regional Government’s (KRG) President Nechirvan Barzani and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, and discussed counterterrorism as well as regional and global issues.

- Historic road map

The visit of the Turkish president to Iraq, the first in 13 years, was highlighted by major Iraqi media outlets and newspapers.

Al-Sabah newspaper ran the headline: "Al-Sudani and Erdogan sign strategic framework agreement." It added that such an agreement would move bilateral relations "to its highest levels for the first time in decades."

The Al-Zawraa newspaper also shed light on Erdogan's visit with a focus on the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the Development Road project. On page 3, it covered the entire program and activities of Erdogan's visit to Iraq.

The Azzaman newspaper focused on Barzani's comment on the visit: "Erdogan's visit reflects the deep relations between the two countries."

- Zeroing the crises

Iraq's official news agency NNA quoted Iraqi experts as saying the Turkish president's visit will support the Iraqi government's vision in implementing projects and strategic partnerships through cooperation with neighboring countries, as well as "zeroing the crises through addressing the stuck files."

The Baghdad Al-Youm (Baghdad Today) cited Fadi Al-Shammari, Iraqi prime minister's political advisor, as saying the agreement between Baghdad and Ankara is "historic."

Alaa al-Delfy, member of the Iraqi parliament, described Erdogan's visit as "very important" in the light of the events in the region.

The local Alsumaria TV quoted a statement by the Iraqi parliamentary block Azem Alliance voicing support to the outcomes of the visit of Erdogan to Iraq.

"The Alliance considers the visit as a historic opportunity to solve the stuck cases and to develop the strategic cooperation between the two countries," the statement added.

- Boosting partnerships and agreements

A total of 26 deals were signed between Türkiye and Iraq after Erdogan's meeting with al-Sudani.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the Development Road project was signed between Türkiye, Iraq, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The deal, which aims to establish a 1,200-kilometer (745-mile) highway and railway, was signed by the transportation ministers from each country in the presence of Erdogan and al-Sudani.

The project encompasses railway and highway lines extending from the Grand Faw Port in Basra through the cities of Diwaniyah, Najaf, Karbala, Baghdad and Mosul to the Turkish border, aiming to provide access from the Turkish border to Mersin Port and onward to Europe via Istanbul by road.

Türkiye and Iraq signed deals in the areas of energy, trade, education, tourism, sports, health and defense to bolster bilateral cooperation.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar​​​​​​​