Turkish President Erdoğan, Iraqi premier agree to deepen security cooperation

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on Wednesday agreed to deepen security cooperation between Ankara and Baghdad at their meeting in New York.

The meeting came during the Turkish leader’s visit to New York to attend the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.

Erdoğan and al-Zaidi agreed to fully restore state authority in Sinjar, northern Iraq, and end the presence of banned foreign armed groups, according to a joint statement.

During the meeting, the leaders agreed to expand bilateral trade and accelerate joint strategic projects, particularly the Development Road Project.

The two leaders discussed all aspects of the strategic relations between the two nations.

“In line with the progress made by Iraq in implementing these security measures, Turkish forces will gradually hand over the Bashika-Zilkan facility to the Federal Government of Iraq, in accordance with the agreed mechanism and timeline,” the statement added.