Dr. Iyad El-Mecalî, a specialist in international relations, provided an assessment to Hawar News Agency about the possible outcomes of the visit to Iraq by Hulusi Akar, Turkey’s National Defense Minister.
Turkey’s National Defense Minister, accompanied by the country’s Chief of General Staff, arrived in the Iraqi capital for an official visit on Monday. Akar reportedly left Baghdad and visited Erbil (Hewler), the capital city in the Kurdistan Region in Iraq (KRI) late on Monday night, but no media outlet has reported anything about this visit.
Dr. Iyad El-Mecalî noted that: “There are certain variables for Ankara. Ankara wants to develop a dialogue and take a step forward only after it ends unfinished issues related to the economy, energy, water policies and the Kurdish question”. According to El-Mecalî, Joe Biden’s electoral victory and the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC’s) agreement will affect many things. “Hulusi Akar’s visit now is a message given to the new president of the US. The Turkish state wants to reflect an image that they are trying to work on the peace and stability of the region”, he noted.
Speaking about the priorities of the Turkish state, El-Macali said: “The Turkish state demands political support from the regional powers. They want to have the oil in Başûr (Northern Kurdistan). They demand that their military forces can patrol in Mosul and Iraq remains silent about the Tigris waters dispute”.
El-Mecalî noted the significance of Akar’s visit: “This is a cosmic visit. The demands of Baghdad and Erbil will not be accepted, because Turkey has always taken a strategic political position towards Iraq”.
