Türkiye and Iraq signed five cooperation agreements on Wednesday following high-level talks between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.

The agreements were signed after a one-on-one meeting between the two leaders and a broader inter-delegation session they jointly chaired, reflecting efforts to deepen bilateral cooperation across a range of strategic sectors.

One of the agreements, a Memorandum of Understanding on Educational and Academic Cooperation between the Turkish National Police Academy and the Iraqi Police College, was signed by Turkish National Police Academy President Murat Balcı and Iraqi Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, General Abdul-Amir Shammari. The agreement aims to strengthen cooperation in police education, training and academic exchange.

The two countries also signed an Annexe to the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Fields of Youth and Sport, expanding collaboration between Türkiye's Ministry of Youth and Sports and Iraq's Ministry of Youth and Sports. The document was signed by Turkish Youth and Sports Minister Osman Aşkın Bak and Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein.

In the field of innovation and intellectual property, Turkish Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır and Iraqi Finance Minister Falih al-Sari signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Industrial Property between Türkiye's Ministry of Industry and Technology and Iraq's Ministry of Planning. The agreement is intended to enhance cooperation on industrial property rights and technological development.

Transportation and infrastructure featured prominently among the agreements.

Turkish Transport and Infrastructure Minister Abdulkadir Uraloğlu and Iraqi Transport Minister Wahab Salman Mohammed signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Railway and Road Transport Through the Ovaköy–Fishkhabur Crossing, aimed at improving cross-border transport links and facilitating regional trade.

The two ministers also signed a Framework Memorandum of Understanding on the Development of Transport Infrastructure in Iraq in Exchange for Natural Resources, establishing a framework for cooperation on major infrastructure projects designed to strengthen connectivity between the two neighboring countries.

The agreements underscore the growing strategic partnership between Ankara and Baghdad as both governments seek to expand cooperation in security, transportation, education, technology and youth development while advancing regional connectivity and economic integration. (ILKHA)