Following talks held in Baghdad, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said his Iraqi counterpart Ali al-Zaidi had articulated a clear and defined outlook for deepening ties between the two countries. Fidan told reporters that the effects of this vision were also making themselves felt in how Iraq conducts its policies, and that those effects had been constructive.
A bilateral encounter took place on the margins of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers' 52nd gathering. According to Fidan, al-Zaidi has shown a willingness to strengthen ties between the two countries while taking concrete action on the difficulties facing Iraq.
Among the topics taken up with Iraqi officials were energy supply, transport connectivity, the Development Road Project, arrangements for security and defence cooperation, counterterrorism efforts, and the ongoing situation in Sinjar. Fidan stated that Türkiye stands behind the Iraqi government's approach to regional affairs, with both parties expressing a common aim of advancing bilateral ties beyond their current scope.
Ankara's readiness to help address the weight of historical hardships on Iraqi society was put forward, alongside a call for outstanding disputes across the region to be worked through via negotiation and non-violent engagement in the coming period — steps that, in Fidan's view, could lay the foundation for broader stability among Iraq and its neighbouring states.
Prior to the OIC ministerial gathering, Fidan held a separate bilateral meeting with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. Fidan noted that the rotating chairmanship of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers had passed from Türkiye to Iraq following an 18-month tenure, adding that the body's sessions had devoted considerable attention to matters of concern across the Islamic world, with the Palestinian question receiving particularly thorough examination.
Fidan also held talks with Iraqi President Nizar Amedi, passing along greetings from President Erdoğan and offering congratulations on Amedi's recent assumption of the presidency. Fidan noted afterward that the encounter marked their first in-person exchange since Amedi had taken up the role, and that Amedi's standing as a statesman had earned broad acknowledgement over time.
Topics covered in the exchange between Fidan and Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein included Iraq's internal political landscape alongside broader developments across the region. During his tenure at Türkiye's National Intelligence Organization, Fidan had built a relationship with Falih al-Fayyad, chair of the Popular Mobilization Forces Commission — a connection he described as ongoing when the two met.
Among the topics addressed in that meeting were the Popular Mobilization Forces, broader shifts across the region, ongoing efforts to wind down the activities of certain armed factions operating within Iraq, and the framework for security cooperation between the two sides.
Formal greetings from Erdoğan were extended to Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibat al-Halbusi, with legislative affairs forming part of the exchange. Security cooperation and its broader regional dimensions formed the core of what Fidan described as his exchange with Iraqi National Security Adviser Qasim al-Abboudi.
During the same visit, Fidan offered congratulations to Agaoglu — who holds the posts of Iraqi State Minister and Iraqi Turkmen Front Chairman — on taking up those roles. Türkiye's attention to the difficulties confronting Iraq's Turkmen population was described as longstanding, with any resolution tied to wider political and social progress within Iraq. Fidan added that Turkmen community members hold full standing as Iraqi citizens.
Fidan noted that the Turkmen community places considerable value on maintaining its own distinct identity — an outcome he described as consistent with what was being sought. He described the two nations as countries that share geographic, cultural, and historical ties, while also noting that Turkmen communities have long taken part in Iraqi civic and political life. A more structured arrangement for bilateral cooperation — one designed to advance the interests of both nations — was among the proposals he put forward.
