Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zeydi will meet with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during his official visit to Ankara on July 28. The visit, his third trip abroad since taking office, offers a significant opportunity to deepen the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Nahrain Center researcher Dr. Ahmed Al-Jumaili stated that the talks will address economic cooperation, security, energy and water issues, as well as a common stance on regional developments.
Cooperation on water security and counter-terrorism
Water and security, the cornerstones of the relationship, remain among the most critical topics on this visit. While Baghdad plans to bring the Water Framework Agreement signed on July 25, 2026 into force as of September, it expects concrete implementation steps from Ankara. Noting that tensions rise in Iraq during periods of increased drought and water scarcity, Al-Jumaili stressed that putting the agreement into practice would significantly bolster the country’s water security.
Progress in the security field in recent years is striking. The Iraqi National Security Council’s designation of the PKK as a banned organization in March 2024 and court rulings to close parties linked to the group were crowned by the Military, Security Cooperation and Counter-Terrorism Memorandum of Understanding signed in Ankara in August 2024. The memorandum envisages the establishment of a joint security coordination centre and deeper cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
Development Road and trade targets
One of the most concrete agenda items is the Development Road Project. The project, expected to link the Persian Gulf to Europe via Iraq and Türkiye, has the potential to create one of the shortest trade routes between Asia and Europe. During al-Zeydi’s meeting with Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu in Baghdad last week, he reportedly called for a clear financing mechanism and the start of fieldwork on a set timeline.
While trade volume between the two countries currently stands at $17 billion, the medium-term target is to raise it to $30 billion. The Strategic Framework Agreement, signed during President Erdoğan’s April 2024 visit to Baghdad and encompassing over 26 accords, forms the foundation of the path toward that goal.
Impact of Israeli strikes on oil exports
Al-Zeydi’s Ankara visit comes at a time when Iraq’s oil exports have suffered losses of up to 80 percent following US and Israeli strikes on Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. As Baghdad seeks alternative routes to reduce its dependence on southern export terminals, an Iraqi oil delegation reportedly held preliminary talks in Türkiye ahead of the visit to find a joint formula for transporting Iraqi oil to world markets via Turkish ports.
Al-Jumaili noted that all these issues will shape the common destiny of the two countries and that cooperation is indispensable for stability and peace in the region.
