Nechirvan Barzani, the President of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in Iraq, is scheduled to arrive in Ankara on October 16th for an official visit.

The KRG Presidency announced that Barzani will meet with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan during his visit. The meeting is expected to focus on strengthening bilateral relations between Türkiye, Iraq, and the KRG.

In addition to discussing bilateral ties, the leaders are likely to address recent regional developments and escalating conflicts.

This visit marks a continuation of the improving relationship between Türkiye and the KRG. In April, Erdoğan made his first official visit to Iraq in 12 years, meeting with top Kurdish officials including Barzani and Prime Minister Masrour Barzani. Following this visit, Türkiye and Iraq signed a memorandum of understanding on military, security, and counter-terrorism cooperation.

The recent Second Security Summit between Turkish and Iraqi authorities in Baghdad led to the Iraqi National Security Council banning the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a terrorist organization designated as such by Türkiye, the United States, and the European Union.

Barzani's visit to Türkiye is expected to further solidify the growing cooperation between the two countries and contribute to regional stability. (ILKHA)