Turkish foreign minister meets with Iraqi president during Baghdad visit

ANKARA / ISTANBUL

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Sunday met with Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid, Turkish diplomatic sources said.

As part of his official visit to Baghdad, Fidan also separately met with Iraqi Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani and President of the Supreme Judicial Council Faiq Zaidan, the sources said.

In a statement, the Iraqi presidency said that President Abdul Latif Rashid received Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and his accompanying delegation at the Baghdad Palace, in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed bilateral relations between Iraq and Türkiye across various fields, as well as issues of mutual interest, and reviewed regional developments and ongoing efforts to strengthen regional security and stability, added the statement.

The president reaffirmed “Iraq’s commitment to an open-door policy, building partnerships, and fostering good-neighborly relations with regional and international partners.”

He emphasized “the principles of respect for sovereignty and prioritizing common interests as foundations of Iraq’s national policy.”

Rashid also called for “adopting a fair water-sharing policy that guarantees Iraq’s acquired rights in the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, based on improved water management practices that help reduce waste and achieve sustainability.”

For his part, according to the statement, Minister Fidan expressed Türkiye’s keenness to strengthen bilateral ties with Iraq and open new horizons for cooperation across various sectors.

He urged “expanding joint collaboration opportunities in ways that serve both nations’ shared interests and enhance mutual coordination and communication.”

As part of his official visit to Iraq, Fidan also held meetings with Iraqi Defense Minister Thabet Muhammad Saeed Riza Al-Abbas, Falih Alfayyadh, Chairperson of al-Hashd al-Shaabi, and Mehmet Seman Agaoglu, head of the Iraqi Turkmen Front.