Turkey, Iraq leaders tout cooperation in Ankara, but major disputes persist
The Turkish and Iraqi leaders signed 11 cooperation deals in Ankara, but talks yield no apparent breakthrough on suspended oil exports or electricity flow.
ANKARA — High-level talks in Ankara on Thursday between Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ended with handshakes and new deals — but key disagreements, including a bitter dispute over suspended Turkish oil exports from Iraqi Kurdistan, remain unresolved.
Erdogan and Sudani oversaw the signing of 11 memoranda of understanding aimed at advancing cooperation between the two capitals — including in the defense, water and migration sectors — following two hours of talks. Both leaders lauded the strong ties between the neighboring countries during the subsequent press conference.
"We have never considered Iraq's peace and stability separate from our own," Erdogan told journalists while seated beside Sudani. "We have just signed documents in your presence that will further advance our relations."
However, the two leaders did not report progress on contentious issues that continue to strain bilateral ties, such as efforts to resume oil flows from Iraqi Kurdistan to Turkey.
