A Turkish-Iraqi Agreement To Prepare A Road Map To Enhance Cooperation In Security Aspects Between Them
Istanbul (NINA) - Iraq and Turkey agreed to prepare a road map to enhance cooperation in security aspects between them at the conclusion of meetings in the Turkish capital, Ankara.
Turkish diplomatic sources said in press statements today that the meetings held by Ankara yesterday were headed by the Turkish side, Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, and included Defense Minister Yasar Guler, and the head of the Intelligence Service, Ibrahim Kalin, while the Iraqi side was chaired by Deputy Prime Minister, Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, and included Defense Minister Thabet Muhammad Saeed Redha Al-Abbasi, the head of the Popular Mobilization Forces, Faleh Al-Fayyad, the Minister of Interior of the Kurdistan Regional Government, Reber Ahmed, and the Iraqi National Security Advisor, Qasim Al-Araji, in which it was agreed to prepare a road map that would strengthen relations, provided that the relevant institutions would follow up and implement the road map in coordination with the Ministries of Foreign Affairs in the two countries.
During the meetings, the Turkish side stressed its desire to achieve its vision of regional strategic cooperation, noting that the region's security, stability and prosperity can be achieved "if the countries of the region sign joint cooperation projects and begin searching for solutions to bilateral problems."
The Turkish side also stressed that Iraq "is considered one of the most important countries in the region in terms of ensuring confidence, stability and prosperity in the region" and that the most prominent advantage in relations with Iraq is that "any development that occurs in any field in one of the two countries can directly affect the other country."
The diplomatic sources indicated that "positive progress" had been recorded in most of the files on the agenda between the two countries, stressing that cooperation "needs to be increased, deepened and institutionalized."
The sources stated that the two sides discussed the issue of the role of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) organization in the tension in relations between the two countries, and that the Iraqi side wants to end the issue of the organization's presence on its territory because it challenges the sovereignty and independence of Iraq (according to these diplomatic sources).
The Turkish side affirmed its readiness to provide all types of support in the face of the PKK, "which is causing the greatest harm to the peoples of the region, and has become a tool in the hands of other countries (according to Turkish sources)."
The sources indicated that the two sides also discussed the water issue and the negative effects of climate change on the region, where the Turkish side stressed that “the increase in drought requires the countries of the region to rationalize the use of water in an optimal manner, and that the two countries had formed last August two specialized committees to follow up on the issue and develop effective solutions to this problem quickly.
The Turkish side renewed its readiness to transfer Iraqi oil, while the Iraqi side explained that it would discuss the issue upon its return to Baghdad.
The Turkish side stressed that "there is no problem that cannot be overcome when the two countries meet," pointing out that presenting the vision, will, and evaluation through which relations can be comprehensively evaluated will be sufficient for this matter, and that yesterday's meeting is "an important step in this direction."/End
