Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said on Tuesday his country’s relationship with Türkiye is heading towards a new phase in security and intelligence cooperation.
Hussein was speaking to reporters as he arrived in Ankara to meet with his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan. He was accompanied by Iraqi Defense Minister Thabet Mohammad al-Abbasi, National Security Advisor Qasim al-Araji, and head of the Popular Mobilization Forces Faleh Al-Fayyad.
An Iraqi Foreign Ministry statement said the two sides discussed ways to develop and strengthen bilateral relations and the prospects for cooperation between their countries, especially bolstering security and intelligence cooperation.
It said both countries aim to confront common challenges in a way that secures their common interests.
Turkish diplomatic sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that discussions tackled water and security files, as well as the resumption of oil exports from Iraq through Türkiye.
The sources added that the two sides highlighted cooperation in the fight against terrorism and efforts to stop the activity of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq. They also covered Turkish military operations the region.
Relations between Ankara and Baghdad have been relatively strained in recent months due to Turkish military operations against the PKK inside Iraq.
Ankara says the operations in northern Iraq and against the PKK in northern Syria are in line with international law and its right to self-defense to secure its borders.
In recent days, Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler said all operations in Iraq and Syria will continue until the threats from the PKK and its affiliated factions are completely eliminated.
