The recent visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Baghdad and Erbil marked a significant event, as it was his first in 13 years. During this visit, a total of 26 agreements and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) were signed. One of the most notable MOUs was the agreement on a strategic framework for energy, security, trade, and water. However, there are still unresolved issues that need to be addressed, including diplomatic and economic disputes.
One of the main points of contention is Turkey’s ongoing conflict with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) inside Iraq, as well as the resumption of oil exports from Iraqi Kurdistan. Despite these challenges, the visit did bring about a preliminary agreement to cooperate on the ‘Development Road’ project, which aims to connect Iraq, Turkey, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This project is expected to provide a significant boost to the region’s economy and infrastructure, with the first phase of the project, the Grand Al-Faw port expansion, due to be completed in 2025.
The ‘Development Road’ project is a long-term endeavor, with the entire project planned to be completed in phases over the next few decades. It is expected to reduce the transportation time of goods from Shanghai to Rotterdam from 33 to 15 days, and if completed, it could form the basis of a sustainable and significant transit sector for Iraq.
Despite the potential benefits, there are concerns about the project’s viability due to Iraq’s unstable political and security climate. Turkey is reportedly preparing for an extensive military offensive against the PKK in northern Iraq, which some political observers believe is intended to neutralize the group’s potential threat to the transit scheme.
During his visit, Erdogan stated that he had “expectations” regarding the “fight against the terrorist organization PKK” and that Iraq “must be rid of all forms of terrorism.” However, it seems that these aims were not immediately achieved, and there are still tensions between Turkey and the Sulaimaniyah-based Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) over the PKK.
In conclusion, while the visit by Erdogan to Baghdad and Erbil was a step forward in addressing some of the longstanding issues between Turkey and Iraq, there is still much work to be done to resolve the remaining disputes and ensure the success of the ‘Development Road’ project.