Iraqi Kurdistan, Turkey Seek To Expand Cooperation In Trade, Energy - Presidential Office

The head of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Thursday their readiness to develop cooperation in trade and energy, Barzani's office said

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2023) The head of the Kurdistan Region, Nechirvan Barzani, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Thursday their readiness to develop cooperation in trade and energy, Barzani's office said.

"Both sides stressed their mutual readiness to promote relations between the Kurdistan Region and Turkey in all areas, especially in trade and economic cooperation, and to utilize the existing opportunities to expand the joint partnership... in the field of energy, which can actively contribute to... addressing the needs in the world today, especially in Europe in the field of natural gas and energy," the presidential office said in a statement following talks of the two leaders in Ankara.

The two also discussed the political situation in the autonomous Kurdistan Region and in Iraq after the formation of the new Iraqi government, relations between Erbil and Baghdad, as well as the settlement of pending issues between the two sides, the statement read.

In addition, Barzani and Erdogan confirmed the need for coordination between Iraq and Turkey to ensure border security and focused on the latest developments in the fight against terrorism and threats posed to Iraq and Syria by the Islamic State terrorist group (banned in Russia).

Earlier in the month, Erdogan, in a telephone conversation with new Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Al-Sudani, discussed the presence of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which is banned in Turkey, on the territory of Iraq. According to Erdogan's office, the president said that Ankara supported territorial integrity, stability and peace in Iraq and hoped to strengthen cooperation between both countries.

A military conflict between the Kurds and the Turkish government forces began in 1984 and escalated in 2015. Ankara has since launched several air and land operations against the PKK bases in northern Iraq.