Iraqi President, Turkish FM address water crisis

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rasheed on Wednesday received Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan in Baghdad.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein was also present at the meeting.

During the meeting, the Iraqi President stressed the importance of strengthening and developing the historical ties between the two neighboring countries, as well as expanding the horizons of cooperation in the fields of economics, trade, the environment, water, and energy in a manner that serves both countries' interests.

Meanwhile, the Turkish Foreign Minister reaffirmed that the Turkish trade minister hopes to travel to Iraq next week, while the Iraqi president expressed hope that the trip will contribute to bilateral economic benefit.

Moreover, Rasheed emphasized the importance of reaching an agreement between the two countries about obtaining a fair and sufficient share of water to meet Iraqis' needs.

He also noted that the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and their tributaries are experiencing a severe water shortage, which has negatively affected Iraqi public life.

Furthermore, Fidan stated that the Turkish government is continuously following up on this issue in order to resolve the water shortage in Iraq.

He also added that his country supports Iraq in its efforts to consolidate its security and stability and confirmed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Iraq in the near future.

Turkey and Iraq enjoy lucrative economic ties. It was reported that in the year 2022, the two countries traded $15 billion in goods, an overwhelming part of which is transported through the Ibrahim Khalil (Habur) border near the Zakho independent administration of the Kurdistan Region.