- BIST10011,117-0.92%
- USD49.65+0.05%
- EUR55.60-0.19%
- GOLD4,007.90-1.29%
- INTEREST36.00%-1.00
- BITCOIN80,429-0.80%
- October 24, 202614°
- BIST10011,117-0.92%
- USD49.65+0.05%
- EUR55.60-0.19%
- GOLD4,007.90-1.29%
- INTEREST36.00%-1.00
- BITCOIN80,429-0.80%
- October 24, 202614°
Iraq to invite Erdoğan to Development Road groundbreaking
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Zeydi said they would invite Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to the groundbreaking ceremony for the Development Road Project after the general budget law is approved. The project includes a 200-kilometer road and railway line, while the route within Iraqi territory is planned to span approximately 1,200 kilometers.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Zeydi announced that they would invite Recep Tayyip Erdoğan for the Development Road Project, which aims to strengthen Iraq’s connections with Türkiye and Europe. He said the invitation would be extended for the groundbreaking ceremony to be held after the general budget law is approved.
In an exclusive interview with an Iraqi television channel, Zeydi said the government was finalizing the draft budget and preparing to submit it to parliament shortly. He said implementation of the project would begin and the groundbreaking ceremony would be held after the budget is approved.
Aim to connect Iraq with Türkiye and Europe
Prime Minister Zeydi described the Development Road as a project that would make a major economic and commercial contribution to Iraq, calling it the “third river.” He said the project’s concrete results would emerge once work begins on the ground.
The project is planned to include road and railway lines extending from Iraq to Türkiye and to ports in Türkiye. The section of the approximately 1,200-kilometer route within Iraqi territory is intended to facilitate freight transport between the Gulf countries and Europe via Türkiye. The project also includes a 200-kilometer road and railway line.
Iraq, Türkiye, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates signed a quadrilateral cooperation memorandum for the Development Road in April 2024. A joint ministerial mechanism was established to monitor implementation, while Türkiye announced its support for the project in November 2024 and said it expected the project to be completed by 2030.
Zeydi and Türkiye’s Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu discussed the project’s latest status on July 21, 2026. During the meeting, Zeydi called for a clear mechanism based on specific timelines for financing and implementation, while Uraloğlu said the two countries shared the view that the core infrastructure needed to be put in place.
Bringing weapons under state control
Zeydi said Iraq was being kept away from international isolation, adding that such isolation would slow development and make it more difficult to meet the needs of the population.
He said an agreement had been reached with five groups on collecting weapons under state control, adding that the files concerning three groups had been completed while procedures concerning two groups were continuing. He said talks were ongoing and that they expected to reach agreements with those two groups in the coming period.
Zeydi said that no weapons would remain outside state control by June 30, 2027. The Iraqi prime minister argued that non-state groups had previously cited the presence of foreign military forces as justification for possessing weapons, but that this justification had disappeared with the departure of foreign forces.
A committee was established on June 3, 2026, to bring weapons in Iraq under state control. Instructions were issued on August 11 to prepare a draft law aimed at regulating the issue within a constitutional framework.
U.S. forces and crossings on the Iranian border
Zeydi said Iraq no longer needed foreign military forces and that relations had shifted from the military sphere to economic cooperation. He said U.S. forces had left the country and officially handed over the bases, adding that no U.S. military personnel were serving in Iraq as combat troops or advisers.
Commenting on border crossings and air transport with Iran, Zeydi said closing the Iraq-Iran border would not serve the interests of either country. He said such a decision would economically encircle Iraq, not Iran.
Zeydi said Iran had conveyed various demands to Iraq, some confidential and others public, adding that Iraq had also communicated its own demands to the Iranian side. He said the Iraqi government was seeking an exemption from navigation restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz because of the political, social and religious ties between the two countries.
The Iraqi government announced on October 21, 2026, that the Shayb Border Crossing on the Iranian border had been closed because it was not technically, technologically or developmentally ready. It said trade with Iran was continuing through other border crossings. The crossing in Maysan province corresponds to the Jazabeh crossing point in Iran’s Khuzestan province.
Baghdad’s ties with the Arab and Gulf worlds
Zeydi said Iraq was part of the Arab world and the Gulf region. He said they attached importance to developing relations with Arab and Gulf countries, adding that Iraq was willing to establish strong and positive relations with those countries despite the security and political conditions in the region.
Stay Updated with Hilal Times
Subscribe to be informed about special news, developments and announcements. We will keep you informed.
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy
