Parliament Speaker Numan Kurtulmuş met with Iraqi Council of Representatives Speaker Haybet al-Halbousi, who was on an official visit to Türkiye. Following their one-on-one meeting, Kurtulmuş chaired a meeting between the two delegations.
Speaking at a joint news conference, Kurtulmuş said relations between Türkiye and Iraq had gained positive momentum recently. He said issues concerning the two countries and the region had been discussed in detail, adding that they wanted cooperation between the two parliaments to be monitored and coordinated through committees to be established, particularly friendship groups.
Development Road Project
Kurtulmuş reiterated the two countries’ support for the Development Road Project, which he said would strengthen connectivity not only between Türkiye and Iraq but also between Asia and Europe. He said the project would contribute to the economies of Iraq, Türkiye and the region, adding that the two sides had exchanged views on steps needed to accelerate the process.
Kurtulmuş said the project would not be limited to economic gains, adding that closer ties among peoples, cultures and cities were also important.
Emphasis on regional stability
Kurtulmuş argued that the existing system in the world had collapsed together with its institutions, organizations and rules, while a new world order had yet to emerge. He said conflict, tension and instability were reflections of this situation.
He said Türkiye and Iraq had to closely monitor developments in the Middle East and take the necessary measures. Kurtulmuş said Türkiye approached problems in the region according to the principle of “regional responsibility,” adding that tensions and conflicts in friendly countries could not be ignored. He also said they welcomed Iraq’s efforts to maintain its neutrality in the face of tensions.
Kurtulmuş described the presence of representatives from different ethnic and religious groups in the Iraqi delegation as an indication of the country’s cultural and social richness. He said this structure demonstrated the importance attached to democracy and the will to live together.
Statement on a “Türkiye free of terrorism”
Kurtulmuş listed the initiatives for a “Türkiye free of terrorism” and a “region free of terrorism” among the issues concerning regional security. He said the goal of a “Türkiye free of terrorism” had been approved in the General Assembly of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye on August 10 with the votes of 467 lawmakers.
Kurtulmuş said the PKK had entered a process of laying down its arms and that they welcomed steps toward the integration of some structures in Syria with the new Syrian government. He said preparations to rid Iraq of armed groups and transfer weapons to the central government would begin next month.
Kurtulmuş described the unity among Iraq’s governing actors, including the president, prime minister, speaker of parliament and president of the Supreme Court, on disarmament as an important gain for Iraq. He said he hoped the process would contribute to regional peace.
After the talks, Kurtulmuş showed al-Halbousi the General Assembly chamber of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye and laid flowers at the site where a bomb fell on the parliamentary building on the night of July 15, 2016.
