2024-03-26 17:03:49
The Iraqi “development path” enters Türkiye’s deal to liquidate the “Kurdistan Workers’ Party”
The security dialogue between Baghdad and Ankara regarding the liquidation of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party moved to discussing the future of the Iraqi project for regional trade known as the “development road.”
An Iraqi delegation headed by Nasser Al-Assadi, Advisor to the Prime Minister for Transport Affairs, began a visit to Ankara on Tuesday to follow up on the implementation of the “Development Road.” According to a statement by the Iraqi embassy in Ankara, the project manager, Safaa Jabbar Nasser, is among the delegation, along with other officials.
The statement said that the Iraqi delegation will follow up with Turkish officials “the progress of implementing the development path, and discuss procedures and bilateral agreements to begin establishing connection points between the two countries.”
It comes as a continuation of the previous meetings held in Baghdad and Ankara, to discuss the latest developments and stages of completing the work.
The Turkish and Iraqi Ministers of Transport during their meeting in Ankara last month (Turkish Ministry of Transport)
Before his visit to Turkey, Al-Asadi said, in statements last Saturday, that there are procedures and agreements with the Turkish side to begin constructing the road and connecting points, and that the development road project will be completed in mid-2028, according to its scheduled program.
Upon the opening of the “Great Al-Faw Port,” the local road and railway network will be used directly until the completion of the development road and the railway and land road to the port, according to Al-Assadi, who pointed out that “Iraqi committees hold monthly meetings in Baghdad and Ankara to agree on the start of implementation and determine the connection points.”
Al-Asadi stated that a delegation from the Turkish side visited Al-Faw port and was briefed on the latest developments and stages of completion of the work.
On February 2, the Turkish Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Abdulkadir Oraloglu, held a meeting with his Iraqi counterpart, Razzaq Al-Saadawi, in Ankara. To discuss project developments.
Ural said, following the meeting, that the most important issue between the two countries is the path to development, and we discussed its current situation, and that the Iraqi side has made great progress in it.
Oral added that transporting goods, which takes regarding 45 days from the Cape of Good Hope, and regarding 35 days from the Red Sea, can be completed in 25 days using the “development road.” He continued: “We continue our work day and night, and we hope to see developments regarding financing and tendering for the project.” During the current year.”
He continued: “I spoke with my counterpart regarding the possibility of taking some decisions during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s upcoming visit to Iraq (scheduled to take place next April), and in continuation of the path of the development project, we provided information regarding the work that we must do in our country, so We implement it quickly.”
Three axes
For his part, Al-Saadawi explained that the “Development Road” project consists of three main axes: Al-Faw Port, railways, and highways, noting that the main port has been completed by 85 percent, railways by 55 percent, and highways by 35 percent. ».
The Iraqi minister added: “We agreed that the two countries will open offices regarding this project, and we will also discuss with Turkish companies the possibility of benefiting from their experiences in constructing roads and railway lines.”
In addition, sources in the Turkish Ministry of Transport said that it was decided during the meeting of the two ministers to conduct studies to facilitate truck transportation between the two countries.
The “Development Road” project includes two parallel roads: land and railways from the Gulf of Basra to Turkey, with a length of 1,200 kilometers inside Iraq, which will be linked to the Turkish railway network.
The project’s investment budget is regarding $17 billion, and it will be completed in three phases, the first ending in 2028, the second in 2033, and the third in 2050.
During a meeting held in Baghdad on March 14, the second at the level of foreign and defense ministers and heads of intelligence and security services, following the first meeting in Ankara on December 19, it was decided to form a joint committee between Turkey and Iraq in the areas of combating terrorism. Combating the activity of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party in northern Iraq, trade, agriculture, energy, water, health, and transportation.
Two Turkish soldiers on one of the heights in the border areas in the south of the country (Turkish Defense)
The “Kurdistan Workers’ Dilemma”
Turkey wants to end the problem of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party in northern Iraq, and to establish a security belt with a depth of between 30 and 40 kilometers, similar to what it does in Syria, and to ensure through this process that the link between the Kurdistan Workers’ Party in northern Iraq and the YPG is severed. Protecting the Kurdish people” in northern Syria.
According to Turkish sources, Baghdad does not mind cooperating in eliminating the threat of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, which it has classified as a banned organization that poses a threat to Iraq as well, within a comprehensive framework that includes issues of water, energy, and the path to development, which is something welcomed by Ankara.
The Turkish and Iraqi sides are working to prepare a strategic memorandum of understanding that includes all these issues to be signed during President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s visit to Iraq next April.
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