Turkey and Iraq call for progress on lucrative 'development road' linking to Gulf

Ten new agreements signed as Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani visits Ankara

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, held talks with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani in Ankara on Thursday. EPA

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan invited nations to help build a multibillion-dollar transport route connecting Turkey to the Gulf as he met Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani on Thursday.

During a joint press conference held by the two leaders after a bilateral meeting, Mr Erdogan said: “I invite countries interested in the Development Road to be part of the strategic project. In our meeting, we discussed the steps towards the implementation of the project.

Mr Al Sudani was in the Turkish capital on an official visit, part of a series of diplomatic meetings over the past 18 months that have signalled an improvement in Iraq-Turkey relations.

Announced in 2023, the $17 billion Development Road project aims to create a cross-border transport network linking Gulf countries with Turkey by road and rail. If completed, it could rival the region’s only existing international maritime route through the Suez Canal in terms of connection.

Speaking alongside Mr Erdogan, Mr Al Sudani said the project “constitutes a great opportunity for the strengthening of integration between Turkey and Iraq”.

During the Iraqi Prime Minister’s visit, officials from the two countries have signed 10 agreements, according to a statement from Mr Al Sudani’s office. The preliminary, non-binding agreements span issues from defence industry co-operation, fighting drug trafficking, interior ministry training and the voluntary return of Iraqi citizens from Turkey.

Tens of thousands of Iraqis have sought safety from years of conflict in their northern neighbour but some have returned to their homeland in recent years. Others seeking asylum in third countries face years of waiting for relocation.

Security issues have long been a feature of Iraqi-Turkey diplomatic talks and were high on the agenda on Thursday. Activity by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in areas of Iraq through which the Development Road will pass has propelled the countries to collaborate to combat the militant group, which is designated a terrorist organisation by Ankara, the US and the EU. Iraq banned the group last year but has stopped short of labelling it a terrorist organisation.

The group’s leader Abdullah Ocalan, who is in jail in Turkey, in February ordered its members to disarm but it remains unclear if cadres based in the mountains of northern Iraq’s semi-autonomous Kurdistan region will heed that call.

“The PKK is a banned organisation. We will not allow anyone to attack Turkey from Iraq,” Mr Sudani said on Thursday.

Mr Erdogan added that the leaders discussed Syria – where Ankara has gained much influence since the fall of the Assad regime in December – but did not provide details.

As he has done with neighbouring Syria, the Turkish President described Iraq’s security as equally important to Ankara as domestic stability.

"We have never kept Iraq's peace and stability separate from our country,” Mr Erdogan said