Iraqi PM hails ‘strategic’ ties with Türkiye

Serkan Demirtaş - ANKARA

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani has reiterated the importance his country is attaching to its “strategic ties” with Türkiye, hoping to make them the most significant part of the Middle Eastern equation during his visit to Ankara, where he was hosted by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Erdoğan and Sudani chaired the Türkiye-Iraq high-level strategic council meeting in the Turkish capital on May 8 with the participation of ministers from both sides.

Sudani, before his official talks with Erdoğan, explained Baghdad’s view on ties with Türkiye and recent regional developments at a special meeting organized by the state-run Anadolu Agency.

“We evaluate our ties with Türkiye from a strategic perspective. We don’t see this process as temporary. The ties between Türkiye and Iraq should be a part of the stability equation in the Middle East,” Sudani said.

Ankara-Baghdad ties contribute to the regional stability and security while aiming to the development of both countries through economic integration and cooperation in various areas, the prime minister said.

On a question about the Development Road Project that envisages to create a stable and cost-efficient transportation line from Iraq to Europe via Türkiye, Sudani recalled that this is a regional project rather than being alone Iraq’s.

“The Development Road Project is a very good opportunity for the region as well as for the world. It is about the economic integration of regional countries,” he stated.

Türkiye, Iraq, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are working on the implementation of the project and the construction of a major port in Basra is underway, according to the Iraqi premier.

PKK’s activities are not allowed in Iraq

One of top issues Türkiye and Iraq are cooperating on is security, particularly in the context of disallowing the activities and presence of the PKK on the latter’s soils. Iraq has already declared PKK as a banned organization following continued talks with Türkiye.

“Iraq’s stance on PKK is clear. It is a banned organization in Iraq. Its presence and armed activities in the Iraqi lands are a violation of our sovereignty. In addition, using Iraqi soils as a launch pad for attacks against Türkiye and our neighbors is a breach of our constitution,” Sudani recalled.

“The process launched by Türkiye for the disbandment of PKK is an important step taken on the right direction,” the prime minister said, informing that the two countries are in constant coordination and dialogue on this issue.

“Obviously, matters over security cannot be handled without Iraq and this is what we are doing with Türkiye,” he said, underlining that his government has already taken measures for the border security.

Dangerous escalation in the region

On a question, Iraqi prime minister criticized Israel for the continued genocide on the Palestinian civilians in Gaza and its efforts to spread the conflict to the outer region.

“We openly express that we evaluate all these developments in the political and media environment in the framework of legality and humanity. We, at the same time, should exert efforts to protect Iraq’s interest,” he stated, adding that Iraq is trying to avoid being involved in any conflicts.

“The Netanyahu government is trying to drag the region into fire, into fire of conflict,” he said.

He also slammed Israel’s attacks on the Syrian territories, expressing his concerns that this sort of violation of international law will undermine the territorial integrity of Syria.