Turkey's Erdogan makes rare visit to Iraq

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan arrived in Iraq on Monday for his first official visit in more than a decade.

Erdogan's last visit to Iraq was in 2011 when he was Turkish prime minister.

Why is Erdogan visiting?

The Turkish leader was looking for greater cooperation in his country's fight with Kurdish PKK militants in northern Iraq, among other issues.

Bilateral relations have been rocky due to Ankara's cross-border operations targeting PKK militants, which Iraq has said violates its sovereignty.

The PKK — which Turkey, the US and the EU all consider to be a terror organization — has fought a decades-long insurgency against Ankara that has killed tens of thousands of people since the conflict began in 1984.

In a joint news conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani in Baghdad, Erdogan said he had shared a strong belief that the PKK's presence in Iraq would end as soon as possible.

Security and development deals to be inked

The two leaders also agreed on a "joint approach to security challenges" and a "strategic agreement" on sourcing water. They signed a strategic framework agreement to oversee security, energy, and economic cooperation.

Last year, Baghdad launched a $17 billion (€15.9 billion) infrastructure development project that seeks to turn Iraq into a transit hub.

The aim is to connect Asia and Europe with a link between Iraq's Grand Faw Port in the south and Turkey in the north, spanning 1,200 kilometers (745 miles).

Baghdad also secured an agreement to ensure that Iraq gets a larger share of water from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, both of which originate in Turkey and constitute the main source of freshwater in Iraq.

Officials from both countries say that than 20 memorandums of understanding would be signed during Erdogan's one-day visit.

kb/wmr (AP, Reuters)