During Iraqi Council of Representatives Speaker Haibet al-Halbousi’s visit to Türkiye, the two officials discussed bilateral relations and developments in the Middle East at a meeting with Speaker of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye Numan Kurtulmuş at parliament. Following their one-on-one meeting, Kurtulmuş chaired an interdelegation meeting.
Speaking at a joint press conference, Kurtulmuş said relations between Türkiye and Iraq had gained positive momentum recently. He said issues concerning the two countries and the region had been discussed in detail, adding that they wanted cooperation between the two parliaments to be monitored and coordinated through friendship groups and committees to be established.
The Development Road between Türkiye and Iraq
Kurtulmuş reiterated his support for the Development Road Project, which he said would strengthen connectivity between Asia and Europe through Iraq and Türkiye. He said the project would benefit the economies of Iraq, Türkiye and the region, adding that they had exchanged views on steps that could be taken to accelerate its implementation.
Kurtulmuş said the Development Road would support closer ties among peoples, cultures and cities beyond its economic gains, highlighting this aspect of the project.
Message of stability in the Middle East
Kurtulmuş argued that the existing global system had collapsed along with its institutions, organizations and rules, while a new world order had not yet been established. He described conflict, tension and instability as reflections of this situation and said Türkiye and Iraq should closely monitor developments in the Middle East and take the necessary measures.
Kurtulmuş said Türkiye approached regional problems according to the principle of “regional responsibility” and that tensions and conflicts in friendly countries could not be ignored. He also said they viewed Iraq’s efforts to maintain its neutrality in the face of tensions positively.
Kurtulmuş described the presence of representatives from different ethnic and religious groups in the Iraqi delegation as an indication of the country’s cultural and social richness. He said this demonstrated the importance attached to democracy and the will to live together.
“Terror-Free Türkiye” and regional security
Kurtulmuş listed the “Terror-Free Türkiye” and “terror-free region” initiatives among the issues on the regional security agenda. He said the goal of a “Terror-Free Türkiye” had been approved in the General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye on August 10 with the votes of 467 lawmakers.
Kurtulmuş said the PKK had entered a process of laying down its arms and that they welcomed steps toward the integration of some groups in Syria with the new Syrian government. He also said preparations to rid Iraq of armed groups and transfer weapons to the central government would begin next month.
Kurtulmuş described joint action on disarmament by Iraq’s governing actors, including the president, prime minister, speaker of parliament and president of the supreme court, as an important gain for Iraq. He said he hoped the process would contribute to regional peace.
Following the meeting, Kurtulmuş showed Halbousi around the General Assembly chamber of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye. Kurtulmuş and Halbousi also laid flowers at the site where the bomb dropped on the parliament building on the night of July 15, 2016.
