Erdoğan meets KRG leader Barzani in Ankara

ANKARA

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Nechirvan Barzani, the head of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), in the Turkish capital Ankara on Oct. 16.

Ahead of the meeting, Barzani held talks with Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and National Intelligence Organization (MİT) chief İbrahim Kalın.

Fidan later joined Erdoğan’s reception of the KRG president.

The agenda included ties between Türkiye and the KRG, as well as Israel’s ongoing attacks in the region and counterterrorism efforts, Türkiye’s Communications Directorate said.

Türkiye has long urged the KRG to take decisive steps against PKK bases in the region.

Ankara has previously launched the Claw operations in northern Iraq, targeting PKK’s main headquarters and training facilities located in the Qandil Mountains.

Another key topic was the upcoming parliamentary elections in the KRG region, according to Erdoğan's office.

The visit comes amid growing security collaboration between Türkiye and Iraq. In August, the two countries signed a security agreement that includes the establishment of joint military centers in Baghdad and Bashiqa, near Mosul.

The deal aims outline cooperation in military and law enforcement training, intelligence sharing and border security.

As part of it, Türkiye has waived visa requirements for Iraqi nationals under 15 and over 50 as of September.

Erdoğan’s official visit to Iraq in April, his first in over a decade, was a milestone in Turkish-Iraqi relations.

During the trip, he met with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, where the parties signed a strategic framework agreement covering 26 areas of cooperation.

In Erbil, Erdoğan met with Barzani and KRG Prime Minister Masrour Barzani to discuss regional security and global issues, Türkiye's Communications Directorate said.

Recent deliberations involving foreign and defense ministers, alongside intelligence chiefs from Türkiye and Iraq, resulted in the latter's classification of the PKK as a banned organization.

An Iraqi court has also banned three political parties linked with PKK.

Ankara anticipated further progress in this regard during Erdoğan's visit, advocating for the PKK's designation as a terrorist entity.

In addition to security, the neighbors are exploring ways to strengthen economic ties.

Türkiye has expressed its support for Iraq's Development Road Project, which seeks to connect the Grand Faw Port to its southern border through a 1,200-kilometer transport corridor.

The project includes railway and highway infrastructure and was agreed upon during Erdoğan’s visit to Baghdad earlier this year.