Türkiye, Iraq ink 'historic' security and military cooperation deal

Defence ministers of Türkiye and Iraq have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in security, military and counterterrorism, marking a significant step in bilateral relations.

The "historic" agreement "will take our cooperation in the fight against terrorism to the next level," Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in a statement on X on Thursday.

The MoU is the first of its kind in the history of the two countries, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein said, addressing an earlier joint news conference alongside Fidan.

Hussein further stressed that the PKK terrorist group is “now a banned organisation” in Iraq, and that “terrorism also threatens Iraqi society.” Fidan, for his part, expressed that Türkiye is "pleased with Iraq’s decision to abolish PKK activities."

The MoU was signed following the 4th meeting of the Türkiye-Iraq High-Level Security Mechanism in the Turkish capital Ankara.

Cooperation centres in Baghdad, Bashika

Türkiye and Iraq are set to establish a joint security coordination centre in Baghdad and a joint training and cooperation centre in Bashika.

The two centres will facilitate cooperation between the two countries in the fight against terrorism, with a particular focus on countering the PKK.

Turkish top diplomat Fidan further expressed that Baghdad and Ankara are in “full agreement” on Israel's relentless atrocities in Palestine's Gaza.

The meeting aimed to strengthen the understanding reached in security matters with additional concrete steps and the legal framework for joint efforts.