Turkish Foregin Minister to visit Baghdad on Thursday

Shafaq News / Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan is scheduled to visit the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, on Thursday. A government source informed Shafaq News Agency that Fidan's visit aims to prepare for the upcoming visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan by the end of March. Earlier this month, Falah Mustafa, a senior advisor to the President of the Kurdistan Region, stated that the Turkish President is expected to visit both Baghdad and Erbil after the Turkish municipal elections. Mustafa added that "this visit aims to enhance bilateral relations with Iraq, in general, and the Region, in particular." Turkish-Iraqi relations have been complex and often strained over the years due to many historical, political, and territorial disputes. The two countries share a long border and a rich history. However, their relations have also been marked by periods of conflict. One of the primary sources of tension between Turkiye and Iraq is the Kurdish issue. Turkiye views the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a Kurdish militant group, as a terrorist organization and has conducted cross-border operations against it in Iraq. Another source of tension is the issue of water resources. Turkiye controls the headwaters of the Euphrates and Tigris rivers, which are vital to Iraq's agriculture and economy. Turkiye has been accused of using its water resources to its advantage, harming Iraq's interests. In recent years, there have been some positive signs in Turkish-Iraqi relations. The two countries have signed many agreements on trade, energy, and security cooperation. However, there are still some unresolved issues that could strain relations in the future. Turkiye is also a significant investor in Iraq, and the two countries have a robust economic relationship. The economic ties between Iraq and Turkiye are multifaceted, spanning various sectors such as energy, trade, investment, and construction. Energy plays a crucial role in their relationship, with Turkiye being a major importer of Iraqi oil and natural gas. The two countries have established several agreements for oil and gas transportation through pipelines, contributing to Turkiye's energy security and Iraq's economic growth. Trade between Iraq and Turkiye has been steadily increasing, with Turkiye being one of Iraq's largest trading partners. Bilateral trade volume in 2021 has been 19.5 billion US Dollars. Iraq became the fifth largest export market for Turkiye (USD 11.13 billion) in 2021. Turkish exports exceeded 12 billion US Dollars in the first 11 months of 2022, and bilateral trade volume surpassed 22 billion USD in the same period.