ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Kurdistan Region’s leaders on Thursday received Turkey’s top diplomat in Iraq, discussing a range of issues, including Erbil-Ankara trade relations.
Anil Bora Inan, Turkish ambassador in Iraq, and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani, emphasized “the importance of further developing bilateral relations and friendship,” according to a statement from the KDP leader’s office.
Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani’s discussions with Inan focused on “the enhancement of bilateral cooperation, particularly in the economic and trade sectors. They emphasized the necessity of ongoing coordination to uphold peace and stability.”
The Kurdistan Region accounts for the majority of Turkish investments in Iraq. More than half of the foreign companies operating in the Kurdistan Region are Turkish. The Ibrahim Khalil border crossing in Kurdistan Region’s Duhok province is the only crossing between Turkey and Iraq.
The Turkish top diplomat in Iraq also brought up trade relations with Erbil during his meeting with the Region’s Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, with both sides reiterating their willingness to further bolster the ties in the sector.
The discussions between Inan and the Kurdish leaders also touched on development of Iraq’s energy sector, the continued export of oil from the Kurdistan Region through Turkey’s Ceyhan port and efforts to end the political deadlock in the Region.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last month received Prime Minister Barzani at the presidential palace in Istanbul. They discussed the latest developments in the region, the Iran war, and Ankara’s peace process with Kurdish rebels at home, according to the Turkish presidency.
President Nechirvan Barzani in mid-April met Erdogan on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF), discussing efforts to advance regional stability and strengthen cooperation between the Kurdistan Region, Iraq and Turkey.
