ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan discussed on Sunday Syria’s developments and joint efforts between Ankara and Baghdad in countering terror along the border between the two countries in a meeting with his Iraqi counterpart Fuad Hussein.

 

Turkish FM Fidan arrived in Baghdad on Sunday, meeting his counterpart Hussein. The Turkish top diplomat is also set to meet Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid and Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani.

 

In a press conference with Hussein, the Turkish foreign minister said the current developments in Syria are of “particular importance to Iraq and Turkey” while adding Ankara wants Baghdad to maintain a “strong relationship” with the current administration in Damascus. 

 

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hussein, for his part, said Baghdad is in “constant contact with the new administration in Syria.”

 

Ankara and the new authorities in Damascus enjoy strong relations. The foreign minister of Turkey was the first top diplomat to visit Damascus, where he met the country’s new de facto ruler Ahmed al-Sharaa, shortly after Bashar al-Assad’s ouster, showing Ankara’s full support across various sectors as the country goes through a transitional period. 

 

The Iraqi government, unlike Turkey, which was a staunch supporter of the Assad regime and was reluctant at the beginning to build relations with the new Syrian administration, slowly moved toward establishing ties.

Since the start of their “Deterring Aggression” campaign in late November, which ultimately led to the overthrow of Assad on December 8, the now-rulers of Syria have repeatedly stressed that they do not pose a threat to Iraq and its security and expressed their desire to develop strategic ties with Baghdad.

  

After weeks of hesitation, an Iraqi delegation, headed by Intelligence Service chief Hamid al-Shatri, arrived in Damascus on December 26 to meet with the new government.

 

The two top Iraqi and Turkish diplomats also discussed coordination between the two neighboring countries in combating the Islamic State (ISIS) and threats to border security, notably referring to the Kurdistan Workers Party.

 

“The more Iraq enjoys security and stability, the more it reflects on Turkey,” Fidan said. 

 

The Turkish foreign minister’s visit to Baghdad came two days after two Iraqi border guards were killed in shootings the Iraqi government blamed on the PKK.

 

“I express my sincere condolences to the martyrs of Iraq who were killed by the terrorist PKK,” Fidan said. 

 

The PKK is an armed group that has fought for increased Kurdish rights in Turkey for decades. The group, designated as a terrorist organization by Ankara, uses mountainous areas of the Kurdistan Region as shelter and often engages in direct armed conflict with Turkey.

 

 

The visiting Turkish foreign minister said they also discussed how to enhance the level of coordination to “combat the terrorist ISIS."