Erdoğan’s travel codes to Iraq

According to the international group Tasnim News Agency, the visit of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to Iraq. It is one of the important diplomatic goals in Ankara-Baghdad relations, which has been worked for 6 months for its planning. is accompanying, has mentioned the goals and expectations of this trip.

It is obvious that Selvi, as a pro-Erdogan journalist, has paid attention to this trip from the perspective of Turkey’s national interests. However, the study of these lines can show how prominent the security dimensions and exaggerated expectations of Turkey from Iraqi leaders are.

Iraqi that I knew
While you are reading these lines, I am with President Erdogan on his trip to Iraq. Earlier, I saw Iraq in both periods. I know both Baghdad before the American occupation and Baghdad after the occupation. I visited both Iraq during the time of Saddam and Iraq after Saddam. Tasnim/Uploaded/Image/1403/02/03/1403020315594813729864944.jpg”/>
When Saddam Hussein was at the height of his power, I watched the Arab League summit in Baghdad. Baghdad, the city of my dreams, really shined at that time. But when I went there again after the occupation of America, sadness literally exploded in my heart.

When I left the Green Zone, I noticed that the Shia and Sunni neighborhoods were surrounded by wire fences, I saw the streets where people patrolled the streets with rifles in their back cars, and when I saw Baghdad I visualized like a wounded gazelle, I could not stop my tears. Baghdad taught me the best lesson. This lesson taught me to understand what occupation and civil war are because of the presence of America. Now we are facing a new political horizon called the Sudanese perspective. Baghdad is trying to get back on its feet. The efforts of the Sudanese prime minister have a great impact in this matter. President Erdoğan’s visit takes place in such favorable conditions. And Iraq is developing in a positive direction and is on the way to becoming a regional model. Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan defined this as a “regional development perspective”.

The two countries are not only talking about the fight against terrorism. We will act with a regional perspective based on joint development. For this reason, Erdogan’s delegation will not only look for security and diplomacy, and joint committees will be established. According to the agreements, joint committees between Turkey and Iraq in the fields of trade, agriculture, energy, water , health and transportation will be established. The committees will be chaired by ministers. In our region, which is known as the field of terrorism and civil war, the goal is to make prosperity and development the common denominator.

One of the most important steps between Turkey and Iraq will be the “Development Path” project. Its origin starts from Basra, the great port of Faw, enters Turkish territory from Ovakoy, and reaches Europe from there. The United Arab Emirates is also interested in this project. The “development route” project, which will change the course of trade, is expected to gain significant momentum with Erdogan’s visit.

Oil Pipeline >
The Kirkuk-Ceyhan oil pipeline between Turkey and Iraq was damaged by ISIS attacks. It had not been working for some time due to other factors. The Iraqi Ministry of Oil announced that this pipeline is ready to open.

Tigris and Euphrates water
In this trip, the issue of water is also discussed. An issue that has been on the agenda since the time of Saddam Hussein. This became a very important agenda item due to the drought. Iraq wants an agreement on water. But I don’t know what way the two countries will go for the blue agreement.

Military operations in Iraq
One of the important points of President Erdoğan’s visit to Iraq is the “Great Iraq Operation” against the PKK. Iraq has taken an important step in this direction. He declared the PKK a banned organization. But in order to declare this organization as a terrorist organization, it must be approved by the parliament.

We are waiting for this step to be taken. Because PKK threatens their land as well. As MİT head Ibrahim Kalin said during his visit to Baghdad, we have disabled the PKK and it cannot act on our soil, but this terrorist group controls a certain amount of land in Iraq.

PKK uses Iraqi soil to carry out terrorist activities in Syria and Iraq. PKK is a security threat and the problem of Iraq’s survival, as well as our problem. President Erdogan has already said: “We are about to complete a circle that will secure our borders with Iraq.” I hope this summer we have solved the problem of the Iraqi border forever”. The concept of this operation will be different. Because we intend to carry out this operation together with the central government of Baghdad, Erbil and Hashd al-Shaabi.

Iraqi operations, which are supported by the air force, are carried out by the Turkish armed forces on the ground. The goal is to create a safe line 30-40 kilometers deep from the 378-kilometer border with Iraq.

Attacks on our bases on December 22-23 and January 24 made the creation of a buffer zone inevitable. A different strategy will be followed in the planned operations compared to the previous ones.

The Iraqi central government and Hashd al-Shaabi will take control of some areas and Erbil will provide security for some areas. For this reason, a “joint operation center” is supposed to be established during President Erdogan’s visit. Therefore, PKK loses the possibility of transferring forces on the border between Iraq and Syria. This mission is to be carried out by the central government of Baghdad and Hashd al-Shaabi. Turkey will provide support at the level of providing troops.

2- Measures will be taken against the PKK in Sulaymaniyah, Sinjar and the Makhmour camp. The central government of Iraq and Erbil will provide intelligence support. They will cooperate against the threats of Sulaymaniyah under the control of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan.

The Barzani family insisted a lot on President Erdogan’s visit to Erbil, and Erdogan agreed. The cooperation between Turkey and Erbil also has a message for the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan and Bafel Talabani in Sulaimaneh, who has continued to cooperate with the PKK. Turkey is a country that creates trust in its friends and fear in its enemies.

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