KDP President Barzani, Turkish foreign minister discuss Erbil-Ankara ties

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) President Masoud Barzani on Thursday received Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Hakan Fidan in Erbil to discuss bilateral ties between Ankara and Erbil.

Barzani and Fidan discussed the latest political developments in Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and the Middle East, according to a statement from his office, known as Barzani Headquarters.

They also discussed the bilateral ties between Ankara and Erbil.

Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani and President Nechirvan Barzani similarly met with the Turkish top diplomat and Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Alparslan Bayraktar on Thursday.

They discussed the resumption of Kurdistan Region’s oil exports which are currently halted at the request of Baghdad after Iraq claimed victory against Turkey at an international arbitration case in Paris in March.

Turkey has been ordered to pay Iraq $1.5bn for the damages while another case against Ankara is pending, per the court's ruling.

Following the meeting, Prime Minister Barzani and Fidan held a joint press conference, in which they highlighted the topics they discussed.

They discussed the mechanism to resume the Kurdistan Region’s oil export as well as resolving the related issues between Erbil and Baghdad according to the constitution, Barzani said in the presser.

“I reassure you that Kurdistan Region will fulfill its duties according to the constitution,” the premier said, adding the Kurdish region will not be a destabilizing factor for the neighboring countries.

Barzani said he had hoped for the relations to continue with Turkey in order to “combat all forms of terror” in the region.