Fidan Hails Iraq PM’s “Strong Vision” as Türkiye Cedes OIC Chair
(MENAFN) Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan lauded Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi on Saturday for his “strong vision” of closer ties, after a round of high-level talks in the Iraqi capital that spanned energy, security and regional stability.
“Mr. al-Zaidi has a very strong vision for advancing relations with Türkiye. We are also seeing the positive and constructive impact of this vision in Iraq’s policies,” Fidan told reporters.
The two men met on the margins of the 52nd Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Fidan said al-Zaidi had shown firm resolve to strengthen bilateral ties and take concrete steps against Iraq’s challenges.
Talks with Iraqi officials covered energy, connectivity, the Development Road Project, security and defense cooperation, counterterrorism and the situation in Sinjar, Fidan said.
He pledged Türkiye’s continued backing for the Iraqi government’s constructive policies and said both capitals aim to lift relations to an unprecedented level. Ankara, he added, would help overcome hardships rooted in recent history that have weighed especially heavily on Iraqi society.
Looking beyond the bilateral track, Fidan voiced hope for diplomacy elsewhere. “Hopefully, other problems in the region will also be resolved through dialogue and peaceful means in the near future, creating a more favorable environment for Iraq and helping the region evolve toward a more peaceful atmosphere,” he said.
OIC session tackles Palestine, regional pressures
Before the ministerial session, Fidan held a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.
Türkiye formally passed the rotating chairmanship of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers to Iraq, ending an 18-month term, he said.
“At the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, highly important issues of concern to the Islamic world, particularly the Palestinian issue, were examined and discussed in depth,” Fidan said. He added that the talks centered on shared challenges confronting the Islamic world.
Fidan also sat down with Iraqi President Nizar Amedi, relayed greetings from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and congratulated him on taking office.
“This was our first face-to-face meeting since he assumed his new position. He was a statesman we already knew,” Fidan said.
Security ties and regional developments
Fidan said he reviewed Iraq’s political situation and regional developments with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.
He also met Falih al-Fayyad, chairman of the Popular Mobilization Forces Commission, whom he said he has kept in contact with since his years at Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization. According to Fidan, their agenda included the Popular Mobilization Forces, regional developments, steps toward disarming certain armed groups in Iraq and bilateral security cooperation.
Fidan passed Erdogan’s greetings to Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibat al-Halbusi and discussed parliamentary affairs. Talks with Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasim al-Abboudi focused on security cooperation and its regional implications, he said.
Spotlight on Iraq’s Turkmen community
Fidan further met Iraqi State Minister and Iraqi Turkmen Front Chairman Mehmet Seman Agaoglu and congratulated him on his appointment.
Türkiye has long followed the difficulties facing Iraq’s Turkmen community, Fidan said, adding that resolving them depends on progress on Iraq’s wider political and social problems.
“They are loyal citizens of Iraq. They are also highly conscious of preserving their own identity, which is precisely what we want,” Fidan said.
He stressed that the Turkmen have consistently played a constructive role in Iraqi society and politics.
“Türkiye and Iraq are brotherly countries, extensions of one another geographically, culturally and historically,” Fidan said.
He urged a more institutionalized framework for bilateral cooperation that would serve both nations’ interests.
“Mr. al-Zaidi has a very strong vision for advancing relations with Türkiye. We are also seeing the positive and constructive impact of this vision in Iraq’s policies,” Fidan told reporters.
The two men met on the margins of the 52nd Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Fidan said al-Zaidi had shown firm resolve to strengthen bilateral ties and take concrete steps against Iraq’s challenges.
Talks with Iraqi officials covered energy, connectivity, the Development Road Project, security and defense cooperation, counterterrorism and the situation in Sinjar, Fidan said.
He pledged Türkiye’s continued backing for the Iraqi government’s constructive policies and said both capitals aim to lift relations to an unprecedented level. Ankara, he added, would help overcome hardships rooted in recent history that have weighed especially heavily on Iraqi society.
Looking beyond the bilateral track, Fidan voiced hope for diplomacy elsewhere. “Hopefully, other problems in the region will also be resolved through dialogue and peaceful means in the near future, creating a more favorable environment for Iraq and helping the region evolve toward a more peaceful atmosphere,” he said.
OIC session tackles Palestine, regional pressures
Before the ministerial session, Fidan held a meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.
Türkiye formally passed the rotating chairmanship of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers to Iraq, ending an 18-month term, he said.
“At the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, highly important issues of concern to the Islamic world, particularly the Palestinian issue, were examined and discussed in depth,” Fidan said. He added that the talks centered on shared challenges confronting the Islamic world.
Fidan also sat down with Iraqi President Nizar Amedi, relayed greetings from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and congratulated him on taking office.
“This was our first face-to-face meeting since he assumed his new position. He was a statesman we already knew,” Fidan said.
Security ties and regional developments
Fidan said he reviewed Iraq’s political situation and regional developments with Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.
He also met Falih al-Fayyad, chairman of the Popular Mobilization Forces Commission, whom he said he has kept in contact with since his years at Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization. According to Fidan, their agenda included the Popular Mobilization Forces, regional developments, steps toward disarming certain armed groups in Iraq and bilateral security cooperation.
Fidan passed Erdogan’s greetings to Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibat al-Halbusi and discussed parliamentary affairs. Talks with Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasim al-Abboudi focused on security cooperation and its regional implications, he said.
Spotlight on Iraq’s Turkmen community
Fidan further met Iraqi State Minister and Iraqi Turkmen Front Chairman Mehmet Seman Agaoglu and congratulated him on his appointment.
Türkiye has long followed the difficulties facing Iraq’s Turkmen community, Fidan said, adding that resolving them depends on progress on Iraq’s wider political and social problems.
“They are loyal citizens of Iraq. They are also highly conscious of preserving their own identity, which is precisely what we want,” Fidan said.
He stressed that the Turkmen have consistently played a constructive role in Iraqi society and politics.
“Türkiye and Iraq are brotherly countries, extensions of one another geographically, culturally and historically,” Fidan said.
He urged a more institutionalized framework for bilateral cooperation that would serve both nations’ interests.
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