Turkey, Iraq To Cooperate In Fight Against ISIL

Turkey and Iraq agreed on Thursday to closely cooperate on security and intelligence issues as part of joint efforts to combat the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi spoke at a Baghdad news conference after meeting with Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu, who arrived in Baghdad on Thursday to meet with senior Iraqi officials during a two-day working visit.

When visiting Turkey in early November, Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari said his government is against foreign troops on Iraqi soil but is ready to accept other means of assistance to defeat ISIL and welcomed Turkey's support. “I hope Turkey will continue to support Iraq,” he added. Turkey has expressed that it is ready to train and equip members of the Iraqi military and police force.

Davutoğlu's visit to Iraq is expected to lead to a fresh start with new unity government in the country.

Speaking at the airport before leaving for Iraq, Davutoğlu stressed the importance of his visit to the country -- which took place at the invitation of his counterpart, Abadi -- saying that it aims to strengthen cooperation in all possible fields. “The relationship between Turkey and Iraq is of great importance, being far more special than the ties that two neighboring countries would ordinarily have,” said Davutoğlu.

Turkey's relations with Iraq had been on the backburner for a long time despite diplomatic efforts. Turkey's independent energy ties with Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) had angered Baghdad, but Ankara previously said the new prime minister in Iraq boosted its hopes and that it was ready to improve ties.

It has been three years since a Turkish prime minister last paid a visit to Baghdad. Former Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who has been accused of favoring Shiites over Kurds and Sunnis for government positions, resigned in August. Following his resignation, a new unity government was formed on Sept. 8, under Abadi.

Abadi and top Iraqi officials are expected to visit Ankara in a short while to join a meeting of the Turkey-Iraq High-Level Strategic Cooperation Council, which is considered as a significant step to improve ties.

Davutoğlu and Abadi also discussed energy sales between the two countries. Davutoğlu met Iraqi President Fuad Masum and Parliamentary Spokesman Selim al-Jabouri during his visit to the country.

In a report released on Thursday analyzing the new period in Turkey-Iraq relations, Bilgay Duman, an expert from the Ankara-based Center for Middle Eastern Strategic Studies (ORSAM), stressed that the civil war in Syria has adversely affected Iraq. “This is the reason steps toward emphasizing the issues of cooperation and reconciliation between Iraq and Turkey, including the Syria problem, are of great importance. Therefore, Davutoğlu's visit will be significant for bilateral relations as well as for the Syrian crisis.”

Duman recalled that Turkey was the first country to congratulate Abadi's government, adding, “Turkey has adopted a clear approach in favor of political unity, national reconciliation and the preservation of territorial integrity in Iraq.”

In terms of relations with Baghdad and Arbil, Duman noted that Turkey does not consider them alternatives to each other. “Therefore, it will contribute to the process of reconciliation between Arbil and Baghdad, which coincides with Davutoğlu's visit to Iraq. It [Turkey] might have a facilitator role between the KRG and the central government, since it has been developing relations with both parties,” he added.

(Cihan/Today's Zaman)