Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi arrived in Turkey on Tuesday to engage in high-level discussions expected to center on the construction of a new oil pipeline. This project aims to reduce Iraq's reliance on oil export routes that are currently exposed to tensions in the Gulf region. The proposed infrastructure would connect Basra in southern Iraq to Haditha in the west, eventually extending to the Ceyhan port in Turkey and the port of Baniyas on the Syrian coast.
Beyond energy infrastructure, Turkish officials stated that the meetings between al-Zaidi and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will address critical issues, including security, trade, transportation, and water management. The Iraqi prime minister’s office noted that the talks are intended to foster joint projects that serve the mutual interests of both neighboring nations.
This diplomatic visit to Ankara follows al-Zaidi’s recent trips to Tehran and Washington. The Prime Minister emerged as a consensus candidate after months of political deadlock following last year's parliamentary elections in Iraq. His visit coincides with Turkey's ongoing efforts to resolve a decades-long conflict with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a group designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union. The PKK has conducted an insurgency since 1984, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths, though the group announced last year that it was laying down arms. Turkey is now preparing legislation for a limited amnesty to facilitate the return of some militants.
Al-Zaidi is scheduled to continue his regional tour with a visit to Saudi Arabia on Thursday. This comes amid heightened tensions following Saudi allegations that Iran-backed Iraqi militias were responsible for drone attacks against the kingdom. In response, al-Zaidi ordered security agencies on Monday to investigate the claims, emphasizing that Iraq is committed to preventing its territory from being used as a launch point for attacks against friendly nations.
The Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias, has denied involvement in the drone attacks, dismissing the accusations as fabrications designed to mask Saudi Arabia's own military failures. Meanwhile, al-Zaidi has pledged to disarm non-state armed groups in Iraq by the end of September, a goal viewed by many as challenging given that several powerful militias have explicitly refused to surrender their weapons.
