Iraq, Turkey sign 10-year MoUs, discuss stopping war on Gaza
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Both nations agree to cooperate on tourism, economy and trade, while also discussing the war on Gaza and the escalation between Iran and "Israel".
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Iraq's Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, right, and Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sit together during their meeting in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, April 22, 2024 (Pool via AP)
Following his visit to Iraq, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan released a statement on Monday, confirming that both nations have agreed to cooperate on tourism, economy, and trade, while also discussing the war on Gaza.
In his statement, he relayed that the top priority of the mutual agenda was the fight against terrorism, in which he said his country was prepared to help Iraq fight against it.
This marks Erdogan's first trip to Iraq since 2011.
"We welcomed Iraq’s declaration of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party [(PKK)] as a terrorist organization", he said, adding that a committee has been formed " to enhance cooperation in the field of water and to address the drought crisis in Iraq in a rational manner".
The PKK has been designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey and its Western allies.
According to Erdogan, current trade exchange volumes will potentially increase, amounting to $20 billion. Of particular interest is Ankara's anticipation to reach an agreement with Baghdad regarding the resumption of operations for the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline, which has been inactive since March 2023.
Read more: Iraq repairs pipeline to Turkey as Kurdish talks stall: Reuters
He continued to assert that among the topics on the agenda was the situation in Gaza, and the escalation between Iran and "Israel", for which he said that they intend to "mobilize all our energy to support our brothers in Gaza".
#Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's visit to Iraq will reportedly address more than 20 memoranda from water resources to the supply of natural gas and oil to Turkey, according to the #Iraqi government spokesperson Basem al-Awadi.#Ankara is particularly keen on reaching a… pic.twitter.com/aHOmxqfWsp
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) April 22, 2024
On his part, Iraqi PM Mohammad Shia Al-Sudani confirmed that a strategic framework agreement has been signed to discuss security, energy, and the economy. That entailed a 10-year deal for the management of water resources to make sure Iraq gets its fair share.
They also discussed the issue of non-state armed actors that would potentially work for terrorist groups.
Al-Sudani said: "The importance of Erdogan’s visit comes at a sensitive time in the region, especially in Gaza and Al-Quds", adding: "We urge an end to the aggression in Gaza and the delivery of aid to the people of the Gaza Strip."
