Iraq
Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid (right) receiving his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan (left) in Baghdad on April 22, 2024. Photo: Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid on Monday received his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Baghdad, discussing a host of regional issues including water, security, and economy, during the first official visit by a Turkish president to Iraq in 13 years.
Rashid and Erdogan “held bilateral discussions that dealt with strengthening relations between the two countries and mechanisms for developing cooperation in various fields. The need for coordination and joint work was also stressed in order to reach satisfactory solutions to issues related to security, economy, and water,” said a statement from the Iraqi presidency.
Erdogan arrived in Baghdad on Monday and met with Rashid and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani. He will also travel to Erbil to meet Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, and Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Masoud Barzani.
He is heading a delegation of at least eight ministers. Ankara expects to sign over 20 agreements with the Iraqi and Kurdish sides during the trip, according to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
“The expanded discussions focused on political, security, and economic issues, bilateral relations between the two countries, ways to enhance trade, encourage investment opportunities, and the water issue,” the statement said.
Last week, Erdogan told reporters in Ankara that the water issue is “one of the most important agenda items” of his delegation’s visit to Baghdad, with Iraq frequently accusing Turkey of cutting off its access to the vital resource. Iraq’s water resources ministry on Sunday told Rudaw that the water issue is the “top” priority of the visit.
Baghdad has complained that Ankara has reduced the flow of water in shared Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which Turkey has dammed, contributing to water shortages in Iraq.
During the meeting, Rashid “touched on the water file and the crisis that Iraq is suffering from as a result of the decline in water flows through the Tigris and Euphrates rivers,” stressing the need to “endure a fair share for Iraq to meet its needs.”
According to the Iraqi presidency, Erdogan told Rashid that Ankara understands Baghdad’s water needs and is open to cooperating in the field through joint committees.
The two sides have met several times on the matter in the past and failed to reach any final agreement. In March 2023, Sudani traveled to Ankara where he sought an increase in the release of water. Erdogan agreed to double the water released into the Tigris River for one month.
Iraq’s Water Resources Minister Aoun Diab told Rudaw in February that per an agreement, the Turkish government is “required to release 500 cubic meters of water per second as a minimum and of this 260 cubic meters should reach Iraq.” The minister charged that the flow of water from Turkey to Iraq has dramatically decreased in recent years, especially in 2022 when Iraq only received 180 cubic meters of water.
Border security is also high on the agenda with Turkey intensifying cross-border strikes against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters in the mountainous areas of the Kurdistan Region in recent months.
“Iraq rejects Iraqi territory being a launching pad for aggressions or threats to neighboring countries. We also reject any attack or violation against Iraqi cities, and stress the necessity of respecting Iraqi sovereignty and security,” Rashid told Erdogan during their meeting.
The PKK is a Kurdish group that has waged an armed insurgency against the Turkish state for decades in the struggle for greater Kurdish rights in the country. It is designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara, as well as the United States and the European Union.
Rashid and Erdogan “held bilateral discussions that dealt with strengthening relations between the two countries and mechanisms for developing cooperation in various fields. The need for coordination and joint work was also stressed in order to reach satisfactory solutions to issues related to security, economy, and water,” said a statement from the Iraqi presidency.
Erdogan arrived in Baghdad on Monday and met with Rashid and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani. He will also travel to Erbil to meet Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani, Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, and Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Masoud Barzani.
He is heading a delegation of at least eight ministers. Ankara expects to sign over 20 agreements with the Iraqi and Kurdish sides during the trip, according to Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan.
“The expanded discussions focused on political, security, and economic issues, bilateral relations between the two countries, ways to enhance trade, encourage investment opportunities, and the water issue,” the statement said.
Last week, Erdogan told reporters in Ankara that the water issue is “one of the most important agenda items” of his delegation’s visit to Baghdad, with Iraq frequently accusing Turkey of cutting off its access to the vital resource. Iraq’s water resources ministry on Sunday told Rudaw that the water issue is the “top” priority of the visit.
Baghdad has complained that Ankara has reduced the flow of water in shared Tigris and Euphrates rivers, which Turkey has dammed, contributing to water shortages in Iraq.
During the meeting, Rashid “touched on the water file and the crisis that Iraq is suffering from as a result of the decline in water flows through the Tigris and Euphrates rivers,” stressing the need to “endure a fair share for Iraq to meet its needs.”
According to the Iraqi presidency, Erdogan told Rashid that Ankara understands Baghdad’s water needs and is open to cooperating in the field through joint committees.
The two sides have met several times on the matter in the past and failed to reach any final agreement. In March 2023, Sudani traveled to Ankara where he sought an increase in the release of water. Erdogan agreed to double the water released into the Tigris River for one month.
Iraq’s Water Resources Minister Aoun Diab told Rudaw in February that per an agreement, the Turkish government is “required to release 500 cubic meters of water per second as a minimum and of this 260 cubic meters should reach Iraq.” The minister charged that the flow of water from Turkey to Iraq has dramatically decreased in recent years, especially in 2022 when Iraq only received 180 cubic meters of water.
Border security is also high on the agenda with Turkey intensifying cross-border strikes against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) fighters in the mountainous areas of the Kurdistan Region in recent months.
“Iraq rejects Iraqi territory being a launching pad for aggressions or threats to neighboring countries. We also reject any attack or violation against Iraqi cities, and stress the necessity of respecting Iraqi sovereignty and security,” Rashid told Erdogan during their meeting.
The PKK is a Kurdish group that has waged an armed insurgency against the Turkish state for decades in the struggle for greater Kurdish rights in the country. It is designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara, as well as the United States and the European Union.
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