Türkiye and Iraq are developing a deeper strategic partnership as regional upheaval, economic ambitions and shifting security priorities push the two countries toward closer cooperation, according to an analysis published by the Arab Center Washington DC.
As per MNTV, the analysis, authored by Salim Çevik and published by the Center on Aug. 26, says relations have moved significantly beyond the security disputes that dominated ties after the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, with Baghdad and Ankara increasingly cooperating on trade, energy, water and counterterrorism.
A major driver of the rapprochement is Iraq’s planned Development Road, a roughly 1,200-kilometer transport corridor intended to connect the Grand Faw Port in southern Iraq with Türkiye and European markets.The project is central to Baghdad’s effort to diversify its economy beyond oil while advancing Ankara’s ambition to become a major regional transportation and logistics hub.
The disruption of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Israel-Iran war has increased the strategic importance of the proposed overland route.A connection through Iraq and Türkiye could provide an alternative pathway to European markets and reduce Baghdad’s dependence on Gulf shipping routes.
Security ties have also undergone a notable shift,specifically with regard to PKK-linked structures in areas including Sinjar and Makhmour.Economic cooperation has expanded alongside security coordination.