Iraqi Prime Minister Muhammad Shia al-Sudani and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan presided over the signing of a quadrilateral memorandum of understanding today, Monday, between Iraq, Turkey, Qatar, and the UAE. The Prime Minister's office stated that "al-Sudani and Erdogan supervised the signing of the memorandum aimed at joint cooperation regarding the strategic 'Development Road' project, with the attendance of members from the Turkish and Iraqi delegations, including ministers and advisors."
It was noted that the memorandum was signed on the Iraqi side by Minister of Transport Razzak Muhibis, on the Turkish side by Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Abdulkadir Uraloğlu, on the Qatari side by Minister of Transport Jassim bin Saif Al-Sulaiti, and on the Emirati side by Minister of Energy and Infrastructure Suhail Mohamed Faris Al-Mazrouei. The memorandum includes establishing the frameworks necessary for implementing the project.
The strategic "Development Road" project is expected to stimulate economic growth and enhance regional and international cooperation by achieving economic integration and striving for a sustainable economy between the East and the West. It aims to increase international trade, facilitate movement and commerce, provide a new competitive transport route, and enhance regional economic prosperity.
During a joint press conference with al-Sudani, Erdogan mentioned that they discussed the joint steps that the two countries could take against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighters, and welcomed Iraq's classification of the group as a banned organization. Erdogan expressed in Baghdad his "strong belief that the presence of the PKK in Iraqi territory will end as soon as possible."
Additionally, al-Sudani announced the signing of a strategic framework agreement with Turkey overseeing cooperation in the fields of security, energy, and economy between the two countries.
