Turkish president's historic visit to Iraq marks turning point: Turkmen Front head

KIRKUK, Iraq

The visit to Iraq this week by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was historic and marked a new phase in bilateral ties, the head of the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) said Friday.

Hasan Turan told Anadolu that the visit marked a turning point in relations between Türkiye and Iraq.

"We believe that Türkiye and President Erdogan will play an important guiding role in the current complex political and security equation in the region," he said.

Turan said he sees a historic chance in economic cooperation between Türkiye and Iraq, similar to the Kirkuk-Yumurtalik Oil Pipeline project in the 1970s.

He said the Development Road project is extremely important for Iraq as it would diversify the country's income beyond oil. "We believe that with the implementation of the project, the presence of PKK (terrorists) in the region will also be ended,” he said.

Highlighting 26 agreements signed during Erdogan's visit, Turan noted Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiya al-Sudani's commitment to strengthening ties with Ankara.

Türkiye can help resolve tensions between Baghdad and Erbil

Turan emphasized the need for a fair local administration in Kirkuk and proposed a joint administration and rotating governor system.

He noted Erdoğan's opinion and advice on the issue is important.

Turan said he believes Türkiye can contribute significantly to resolving tensions between the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government and Baghdad.

Underlining one of the biggest problems in Erbil-Baghdad relations is oil exports, Turan emphasized that Ankara's role in solving the problem will have positive repercussions, given that oil exports are made through Türkiye.

*Writing by Muhammed Yasin Gungor in Istanbul