Kurdish separatists and water issues loom large in long-awaited Erdogan visit to Iraq
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is set to make his first official visit to Iraq in more than a decade
BAGHDAD (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was set to make his first official visit to Iraq in more than a decade on Monday as his country seeks greater cooperation from Baghdad in its fight against a Kurdish militant group that has a foothold in northern Iraq.
Other issues also loom large between the two countries, including water supply issues and exports of oil and gas from northern Iraq to Turkey, which have been halted for more than a year.
Erdogan’s last visit to Iraq was in 2011, when he was Turkey’s prime minister.
Iraqi government spokesperson Bassem al-Awadi said in a statement that Erdogan’s visit will be a “major starting point in Iraqi-Turkish relations” and will include the signing of a deal on a “joint approach to security challenges” and a “strategic agreement on the water file,” among other issues.
