By Diyar Guldogan
WASHINGTON (AA) - Türkiye and Iraq signed 26 agreements in various fields during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to the capital Baghdad on Monday.
Erdogan visited Iraq for the first time in 13 years to discuss bilateral relations, counter-terrorism and regional issues, including Israel’s ongoing war in the Gaza Strip.
A total of 26 deals were signed between the two countries after Erdogan's meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the Development Road project was signed between Türkiye, Iraq, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
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 Development Road 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.
Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloglu said the project will open a "new door" in terms of regional trade.
"The Development Road Project, which will directly contribute to the global trade system, will also benefit the development of all participating countries," Uraloglu said on X.
Türkiye and Iraq signed deals in the areas of energy, trade, education, tourism, sports, health and defense to bolster bilateral cooperation.
During his visit, Erdogan also met with President Nechirvan Barzani and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani of Iraq’s Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) in Erbil.