Exclusive: Türkiye awaits tangible results from al-Zaidi’s visit, not limited to protocols like previous ones.
Exclusive: Türkiye awaits tangible results from al-Zaidi’s visit, not limited to protocols like previous ones.
2026-07-28
Shafaq News – Ankara
Turkish political analyst Cukukoglu revealed on Tuesday that the development road project topped the agenda of Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi’s visit to Ankara, stressing that the latter expressed its desire for the visit to lead to practical results in the water, security and energy files.
Oglu told Shafaq News Agency that “the visit is very important, and witnessed an official reception from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the Presidential Palace. The reception was warm and at a high level, reflecting Ankara’s interest in strengthening cooperation with Baghdad.”
He added that “the water file was one of the most prominent files discussed, as joint technical committees were formed between the two sides to follow up on this file, while the security file witnessed progress, and the required results were reached regarding it.”
Oglu explained that “the talks also addressed the reactivation of the Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline, as well as the development road project, which is a high priority for the Turkish government.”
He pointed out that “Ankara is looking forward to achieving tangible results from the visit, and that it will not be limited to the protocol aspect as happened in some previous visits, but rather that it will be translated into executive and economic steps on the ground.”
The Turkish political analyst pointed out that “recent regional developments have strengthened the importance of the development road project, therefore Türkiye seeks to accelerate the implementation of its phases within Iraq, due to its strategic and economic importance to both countries.”
Oglu concluded by saying that “the Turkish government attaches great importance to this visit, given the vital issues it includes that will strengthen the partnership between Baghdad and Ankara.”
Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi arrived in Türkiye earlier on Tuesday for an official visit at the head of a high-level government delegation.
Al-Zaidi met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan after arriving in Ankara.
Commenting on the visit, Al-Zaidi said in a post on the “X” platform, which was followed by Shafaq News Agency: “We are linked to Türkiye by historical, geographical and cultural ties, and by diverse common interests.”
He added, “During our visit, we will discuss investment, water, and development initiatives, as well as efforts to enhance stability in the region, in addition to addressing a number of economic and security issues, all of which will contribute to achieving mutual benefit for our two peoples.”
According to a government source, the visit includes talks and cooperation agreements in the security, economic and investment fields, as well as oil and energy files and increasing trade exchange, in addition to discussing a number of regional and international issues.
Al-Zaidi had visited the United States on July 14, before making an official visit to Iran on July 24, as part of regional and international diplomatic moves that Iraq has witnessed recently.
shafaq.com
