Turkish President Erdogan's Visit to Iraq: Discussing Water, Oil, and Security Issues

Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is currently on a state visit to Iraq for the first time since 2011. The trip comes amidst increasing regional tensions and was met with a 21-gun salute upon arrival at Baghdad's international airport. During his meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Shia al-Sudani and President Abdel Latif Rashid, Erdogan expressed the shared history and common interests between the two countries, while acknowledging existing problems. He also mentioned Turkey's expectations for cooperation from Iraq in the fight against the terrorist organization PKK, which has militants based in northern Iraq. Sudani responded by expressing a desire to bolster border security through collaboration between the two nations.