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Baghdad Awaits Historic Visit by Erdogan

A scene from the city of Al-Amara shows the extent of the decline in the waters of the Euphrates River (Reuters)
A scene from the city of Al-Amara shows the extent of the decline in the waters of the Euphrates River (Reuters)
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Baghdad Awaits Historic Visit by Erdogan

A scene from the city of Al-Amara shows the extent of the decline in the waters of the Euphrates River (Reuters)
A scene from the city of Al-Amara shows the extent of the decline in the waters of the Euphrates River (Reuters)

Iraqi official sources have reported an upcoming visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Iraq with the aim of discussing unresolved issues between the two nations.

If Erdogan undertakes this visit, it will mark the first time a Turkish president has visited Iraq since Turgut Ozal’s visit in the late 1980s.

However, Erdogan has previously visited Iraq twice as Prime Minister during the tenure of former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in 2008 and 2011.

While the water issue between Baghdad and Ankara remains long-standing, dating back over seven decades, Iraqi-Turkish relations have taken a new dimension since the change in Iraq in 2003.

Türkiye refused to allow the US and its allies to use the Incirlik Turkish base during the 2008 occupation of Iraq.

However, Türkiye approached the Iraqi issue from various angles, similar to how Iran handled it at a time when Iranian-US relations were negative, and both sides used Iraqi territory to settle their scores.

Although Türkiye benefited from its positive relationship with the US, it distanced itself from it regarding its agenda in Iraq.

While Tehran appeared to have friends among the Shia political elite in Iraq, Ankara had friends among the Sunni political class in the country.

Türkiye was also accused of controlling the Turkmen card in Iraq and influencing Kurdish affairs by pursuing the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), an opposition group, within Iraqi territory.

Türkiye, on the other hand, accused Iraq of harboring PKK elements within its borders and established military bases in several areas in northern Iraq.

This move complicated Türkiye’s relationship with the Kurds in the Kurdistan Region, as well as its relations with certain Shia factions that viewed Türkiye’s actions as an occupation of Iraqi territory.

While Erdogan can discuss numerous issues with Iraqi leaders in Baghdad, the most prominent ones will remain the water file, followed by the PKK issue.

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Iran Warns US, Israel over Syria, May Send ‘Advisors’ to Aleppo

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks at parliament. (Iranian presidency)
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks at parliament. (Iranian presidency)
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Iran Warns US, Israel over Syria, May Send ‘Advisors’ to Aleppo

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks at parliament. (Iranian presidency)
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian speaks at parliament. (Iranian presidency)

Iran warned on Sunday the United States and Israel against exploiting the situation in Syria, hinting that it may send “advisory” forces from the Iranian Revolutionary Guards to Aleppo city if the field developments demand it.

Speaking at a parliament session, President Masoud Pezeshkian called on Islamic countries to “resolve the problems in Syria” and prevent foreign meddling in its affairs.

“We hope countries in the region won’t allow the US and Israel to exploit internal conflicts inside any Islamic country,” he added.

“The parties expanding the war and destruction are the same ones preaching about peace, human rights and humanity,” he remarked.

On Israel’s war on Gaza and Lebanon, Pezeshkian noted: “Israel has killed tens of thousands of children and the parties preaching human rights have stood idly by.”

“We don’t want war or destruction. We have exerted efforts to resolve our problems with neighbors and we have worked on improving our ties with various countries,” he went on to say.

Iran has no ambitions in other countries, he declared. “We believe that the countries of the region can ensure security in the region without the need for foreign powers,” he added.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, meanwhile, described the developments in Syria as a “Zionist-American plot aimed at destabilizing the region” given the timing of the unrest soon after the ceasefire in Lebanon took effect.

“It is urgent for the reasonable voices in the region to thwart this dangerous conspiracy and confront the terrorists in Syria and the region,” he demanded, warning the US and its ally Israel that “using the terrorism card will come back to haunt them.”

MP Esmaeil Kousari said Iran may send “advisory” forces to Syria, but this depends on the developments on the ground and the “decisions of the Israeli leadership.”

Iran has often called its combat operations in Syria as “advisory” roles.

Kousari, who is also a member of the IRGC, said the attacks in Aleppo are an “American and Israeli plan to sever the Iranian supply route to Hezbollah” in Lebanon.

He noted that it was no coincidence that the attack took place soon after the ceasefire in Lebanon was declared, predicting the Israel will launch a new offensive in Lebanon as soon as the 60-day truce is over.

He called on the forces allied to Iran to fight the opposition factions in Syria to prevent them from forming permanent bases in Aleppo and northern Syria. “They must be defeated to ensure the link between Syria and Hezbollah remains,” he urged.

He acknowledged that the number of Iranian advisors in Syria had dropped significantly in recent years, saying that had it been greater, they would have acted immediately against the opposition fighters.

Iranian-backed militias entered Syria overnight from Iraq and were heading to northern Syria to beef up beleaguered Syrian army forces battling opposition fighters, according to two Syrian army sources, reported Reuters on Monday.

Dozens of Iran-aligned Iraqi Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) fighters from Iraq also crossed into Syria through a military route near Al-Bukamal crossing, a senior Syrian army source told Reuters.

Iran sent thousands of Shiite militias to Syria during the Syrian war and, alongside Russia with its air power, enabled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to crush the opposition and regain most of his territory.

Israel has also in recent months stepped up its strikes on Iranian bases in Syria while also waging an offensive in Lebanon which it says has weakened Hezbollah and its military capabilities.