Turkish FM meets Iraqi premier, discusses further cooperation

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani has hosted Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan during his three-day visit visit to the capital Baghdad, throughout which he also met with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein and President Abdul Latif Rashid.

In the meeting on Wednesday, "current issues regarding the enhancement of political, economic, and security cooperation between the two countries were discussed," the Turkish Foreign Ministry said on X, formerly Twitter.

The Iraqi premier briefed Fidan about Iraq's fight against terrorism, according to a statement from the Iraqi prime minister's office.

Al Sudani emphasised that security and stability are priorities for the Iraqi government, and that no party or organisation, under any name, will be allowed to disrupt security or use Iraqi territory to attack neighbouring countries.

He also stressed the necessity of coordination between Türkiye and Iraq on various regional issues to adopt joint approaches that serve the interests of both countries.

Fidan also met his Malaysian counterpart Zambry Abdul Kadir in Baghdad on Wednesday, and "discussions were held on potential collaborative actions concerning our bilateral relations and Islamophobia," the Turkish Foreign Ministry wrote on X.

Solidarity with Iraqi Turkmens

During his Baghdad visit, Foreign Minister Fidan also met with leaders of the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITF) and prominent members of the Iraqi Turkmen community at Türkiye's Embassy.

Fidan emphasised that Iraqi Turkmens are in no way a source of instability, division, fragmentation, or terrorism in Iraq, saying: "We want to express that Türkiye is and will continue to be behind these efforts and initiatives."

He highlighted that Türkiye sees Iraqi Turkmens as one of the most significant bridges between the two countries.

Türkiye has been persistently and systematically working for years to address the discrimination and injustice that Iraqi Turkmens have long faced in Iraq, Fidan said.

"We will continue our relations with our Turkmen brothers in a way that serves the territorial integrity, political unity, and stability of Iraq as much as possible."

He added that the contributions of Turkmens to Iraqi politics and society are beyond all forms of appreciation.