Erdogan’s Visit to Baghdad to Mark Changing Point in Relations between Iraq, Türkiye 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses his supporters ahead of the local elections in Istanbul, Türkiye, March 29, 2024. (Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses his supporters ahead of the local elections in Istanbul, Türkiye, March 29, 2024. (Reuters)
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Erdogan’s Visit to Baghdad to Mark Changing Point in Relations between Iraq, Türkiye 

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses his supporters ahead of the local elections in Istanbul, Türkiye, March 29, 2024. (Reuters)
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses his supporters ahead of the local elections in Istanbul, Türkiye, March 29, 2024. (Reuters)

Iraq and Türkiye are expected to deepen their relations when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan pays a visit to Baghdad on Monday.

Ankara and Baghdad announced that the visit will witness the signing of a strategic framework agreement that covers security, economic and development affairs and the water and energy files.

An Iraqi government source confirmed on Thursday Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler’s announcement that the two neighbors will sign a strategic cooperation agreement on combating the operations of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Turkish Defense Ministry spokesperson Zeki Akturk told reporters on Thursday that Ankara will speed up Operation Claw-Lock against the PKK in northern Iraq.

On Tuesday, Erdogan said the water file will be one of the most important articles on his agenda in Baghdad.

The Iraqi source said Türkiye has been showing its readiness to cooperate in finding a mechanism to secure Iraq’s water share.

Meanwhile, Iraq’s Development Road project, which it unveiled in 2023, will also be an important issue on Erdogan’s agenda.

Turkish Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloglu said on Friday that an agreement has been reached over months of ministerial and technical discussions to form a joint mechanism that would follow up on the project.

He hoped that the United Arab Emirates and Qatar would become a part of it.

Turkish-Iraqi parliamentary discussions held in Ankara on Wednesday and Thursday concluded that it was in both countries’ best interest to jointly act to combat terrorism and bolster cooperation in economic and development fields, with Erdogan’s visit expected to mark a changing point in their relations.



Israeli Ambassador to US Says Hezbollah Cease-fire Deal Could Come 'Within Days'

Part of the destruction caused by the Israeli airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut yesterday (Reuters)
Part of the destruction caused by the Israeli airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut yesterday (Reuters)
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Israeli Ambassador to US Says Hezbollah Cease-fire Deal Could Come 'Within Days'

Part of the destruction caused by the Israeli airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut yesterday (Reuters)
Part of the destruction caused by the Israeli airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut yesterday (Reuters)

The Israeli ambassador to Washington says that a cease-fire deal to end fighting between Israel and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah could be reached "within days."
Ambassador Mike Herzog told Israeli Army Radio on Monday that there remained "points to finalize" and that any deal required agreement from the government. But he said "we are close to a deal" and that "it can happen within days."
Among the issues that remain is an Israeli demand to reserve the right to act should Hezbollah violate its obligations under the emerging deal. The deal seeks to push Hezbollah and Israeli troops out of southern Lebanon.
Israel accuses Hezbollah of not adhering to a UN resolution that ended the 2006 war between the sides that made similar provisions, and Israel has concerns that Hezbollah could stage a Hamas-style cross-border attack from southern Lebanon if it maintains a heavy presence there. Lebanon says Israel also violated the 2006 resolution. Lebanon complains about military jets and naval ships entering Lebanese territory even when there is no active conflict.
It is not clear whether Lebanon would agree to the demand.
The optimism surrounding a deal comes after a top US envoy held talks between the sides last week in a bid to clinch a deal.
Hezbollah began attacking Israel on Oct. 8, 2023, a day after Hamas´ raid on southern Israel, setting off more than a year of fighting. That escalated into all-out war in September with massive Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon and later an Israeli ground incursion into the country´s south.
Hezbollah has fired thousands of rockets into Israeli cities and towns, including some 250 on Sunday.