Turkey and Iraq Sign Landmark Water Management Accord as Ankara Welcomes PKK Withdrawal
Turkish FM Hakan Fidan visits Baghdad to ink a first-of-its-kind water agreement and discuss regional security, cooperation, and the PKK’s decision to withdraw from Turkish soil.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) — Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday announced that Türkiye and Iraq have reached a historic agreement on water management — the first of its kind between the two neighbors — as Ankara reaffirmed its full support for Iraq’s security, reconstruction, and stability.
During a joint press conference with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein in Baghdad, Fidan said the two countries are entering “a new era of cooperation” in vital sectors including trade, energy, and water.
“The agreement we are signing today is the first of its kind,” Fidan noted, emphasizing that it will pave the way for major improvements in Iraq’s water infrastructure.
Fidan reiterated that Ankara stands “fully behind Iraq” in its development and counterterrorism efforts. “We are working directly with Iraqi authorities to combat terrorism,” he added, describing the new framework as a model for sustainable regional collaboration.
For his part, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein highlighted the strategic importance of the accord, noting that Iraq and Turkey share “a historic relationship” built on mutual interests.
“We have discussed the issue of water management in depth,” Hussein said, adding that “a document outlining the mechanism for managing water resources will be signed today.”
He also revealed that the two countries have 26 memoranda of understanding across various fields.
The talks also covered the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), whose recent decision to withdraw its forces from Turkish territory drew cautious optimism from Ankara. Fidan welcomed the move, describing it as “rational and extremely important,” while urging the group to end all armed activity in Iraq and Syria as well.
“We hope that this decision will mark the beginning of lasting peace,” he said.
Founded in 1978, the PKK has waged an armed insurgency against Turkey for decades, claiming it seeks greater Kurdish autonomy. It is designated as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States, and the European Union.
The Turkish minister further underscored that coordination with both the Iraqi federal government and the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) remains key to advancing the peace process and ensuring regional stability.
“Both Baghdad and Erbil are working closely with us,” he affirmed.
in a related development, and in his most comprehensive remarks since the PKK announced its historic decision to withdraw all armed elements from Turkish territory, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Saturday outlined an ambitious vision for Türkiye and the broader region, pledging to inaugurate a “new era” of peace and fraternity founded on the principles of a “terror-free Türkiye” and ultimately a “terror-free region.”
Speaking at a public gathering in Istanbul, Erdoğan described the PKK’s withdrawal as a pivotal and constructive development in the government’s ongoing peace initiative.
He confirmed that his administration is closely monitoring the evolving situation and disclosed that he recently held an “extremely constructive, productive, and hopeful” meeting with senior figures from the pro-Kurdish DEM Party — a sign of potential momentum in advancing the political dimension of the decades-long reconciliation effort.
Delivering his address during the inauguration ceremony of the Atatürk Airport National Garden, Erdoğan projected a tone of resolve tempered by cautious optimism, calling for national unity.
According to the state-run TRT Haber, the president hailed the “Terror-Free Türkiye” campaign — launched a year ago under his People’s Alliance government — as a notable success, emphasizing that it has been pursued with both strategic patience and national sensitivity.
Fidan’s remarks come as the PKK’s 12th Congress announced a major organizational restructuring and the end of its armed struggle, signaling a potential shift in decades of conflict.
With the new water management accord and renewed regional dialogue, both Turkey and Iraq appear determined to move toward a new phase of cooperation aimed at transforming shared challenges into opportunities for stability and development across the region.
