Kurdistan Region President, Turkish President Erdogan Discuss Strengthening Bilateral Ties
In a post on the social media platform X, President Barzani described the meeting as “a timely opportunity to share views on regional issues and the close and strategic ties between Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and Türkiye.”
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani announced on Thursday that he had met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara to discuss bilateral relations and regional developments.
In a post on the social media platform X, President Barzani described the meeting as “a timely opportunity to share views on regional issues and the close and strategic ties between Iraq, the Kurdistan Region, and Türkiye.”
He added that both sides discussed ways to “further deepen cooperation and promote regional peace, stability, and prosperity.”
The meeting reflects ongoing efforts to strengthen political and economic relations between the Kurdistan Region and Turkey amid evolving regional dynamics.
Earlier, Kurdistan Region President met with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, in which they shared their desire to further enhance political, economic, and security cooperation.
The Kurdistan Region and Turkey share one of the Middle East's most significant partnerships, founded on mutual economic, security, and geopolitical interests.
Over the past two decades, their relationship evolved from cautious engagement into a robust alliance focused on energy cooperation, trade, and diplomacy.
The Kirkuk–Ceyhan oil pipeline is central to this partnership, transporting Kurdish crude to global markets via Turkey's Ceyhan port.
This critical energy route not only provides essential revenues for the Kurdistan Region but also strengthens Turkey's role as a regional energy hub, connecting Iraq and the Middle East to Europe.
In addition to energy, cooperation between Erbil and Ankara extends to trade, infrastructure, and humanitarian initiatives, with Turkey being the Kurdistan Region's largest trading partner.
I was delighted to meet with President @RTErdogan in Ankara today. It was a timely opportunity to share views on regional issues, and the close and strategic ties between Iraq, the Kurdistan Region and Türkiye.
— Nechirvan Barzani (@IKRPresident) October 9, 2025
We also discussed ways to further deepen our cooperation and promote… pic.twitter.com/YC6CDbWK7L
