President Barzani’s visit to Turkiye: seeking stability amid regional tensions
Shafaq News/Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani's current visit to Ankara to meetwith Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and other senior officials comes ata critical juncture marked by regional and international developments. Thisvisit holds importance across multiple dimensions, including internal Kurdishaffairs, broader Iraqi relations, and the complex Turkish and regional context.As various parties strive to enhance stability amid the region's volatility,Barzani's engagement underscores a commitment to fostering understanding andcooperation.
Strong Ties
Observersnote that this visit, Barzani’s second in the past six months, reflects theKurdistan Region’s strategy to maintain strong and ongoing relations withTurkiye, a key regional partner with extensive influence and deep-rooted tieswith both the Kurdistan Region and the federal government in Baghdad.
While theofficial statement from the Kurdistan Presidency indicated that Barzani’s visitfocuses on enhancing relations between Turkiye, Iraq, and the Kurdistan Region,and discussing the latest regional developments and shared issues, analystshighlight several key topics on the Erbil-Ankara agenda, including political,economic, and security aspects.
According tothe official statement, Barzani and Erdogan “underscored the importance offurther developing Turkiye’s relations with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region,particularly in the economic field. They discussed ways to increase tradeexchange and boost Turkish investment and job opportunities across Iraq and theKurdistan Region.” President Erdogan reiterated Turkiye’s continued commitmentto cooperation with Iraq and the Kurdistan Region, expressing the Turkishprivate sector’s readiness to engage in various sectors.
Thestatement also noted that both leaders “expressed concern over the complexsituation in the Middle East and its potential consequences for the region,agreeing on the need to prevent the escalation of conflicts and resolve issuesthrough peaceful means.
President Barzanishared part of his visit through a post on X stating, "I am delighted tohave met with President Erdogan once again in Ankara. Our discussions covered arange of issues, including enhancing regional stability and furtherstrengthening the ties between the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and Turkiye.”
In anotherpost, Barzani said, “Another fruitful meeting with my friends, Foreign MinisterHakan Fidan and Mr. Ibrahim Kalin today in Ankara. We shared views on a varietyof issues of mutual interests and concerns.”
Building onthe discussions about strengthening economic cooperation and maintainingregional stability, Barzani’s visit to Ankara takes place just days before asignificant event for the Kurdistan Region – the parliamentary elections.
Kurdistan’sParliamentary Elections
The visitcomes four days before the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections, a keymoment that some believe is of considerable interest to Ankara, given the closeand complex relations between Turkiye and the region, which shares a borderwith it.
In his briefvisit, Barzani, as president, carries messages of reassurance to Turkiye,emphasizing that the relationship between the Kurdistan Region and Turkiyeremains a “top priority,” regardless of the election results.
Analysts suggestthat President Barzani is particularly concerned about easing tensions amongthe Kurdistan Region’s political forces.
Analystspointed out that as the head of the Region, Barzani’s role is to act as “aunifying figure, aiming to protect the interests of all parties and worktowards reducing tensions, even with electoral opponents. Additionally, heseeks to ensure that the region’s critical relationship with Ankara remainsstrong and unaffected by domestic political dynamics.”
Building onthe context of Kurdistan's parliamentary elections and the importance ofregional relationships, Barzani's visit also draws on the broader framework ofdiplomatic exchanges between the Kurdistan Region, Iraq, and Turkiye, furtherreinforcing the significance of maintaining strong partnerships.
DiplomaticExchanges and Regional Cooperation
According toanalysts, President Nechirvan Barzani’s current visit builds on the outcomes ofTurkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s historic visit to Baghdad and Erbil inApril. That visit took place during a critical period for the region,highlighting the robust political, economic, and security relationships betweenIraq, the Kurdistan Region, and Turkiye.
In additionto launching a new phase of security cooperation between Ankara and Baghdad,which includes curbing the military activities of the Kurdistan Workers' Party(PKK) and establishing mechanisms for security coordination, Erdogan’s visitalso marked the initiation of the strategic "Development Road"project.
Barzani is acutelyaware of the transformative potential of this project, which could reshaperegional interests, relationships, and prosperity, benefiting Turkiye, Iraq,and the people of the Kurdistan Region alike.
Barzani'sdiplomatic efforts also align with broader international concerns, particularlyin light of recent developments in Iran. Since the assassination of PresidentEbrahim Raisi and the subsequent election of reformist Masoud Pezeshkian, whopersonally attended his inauguration, Barzani has leveraged his longstandingrelations with Iranian officials. He visited Tehran on May 5, where he met withSupreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a meeting that Washington-basedanalysts described as a turning point in relations between the Kurdistan Regionand Iran. Both parties share a vested interest in resolving disputes thatinfluence Iraq’s political landscape.
Continuingfrom the broader theme of diplomatic exchanges and regional cooperation,Barzani's visit also aligns with the delicate and volatile situation in theregion, where various external powers are actively influencing the balance ofinterests and alliances.
RegionalTensions and US Military Movements
NechirvanBarzani is acutely aware of the pivotal roles played by both Iran and Turkiyein this sensitive regional moment, particularly amid the backdrop of a majorIsraeli offensive in Lebanon, following the Gaza conflict that erupted a yearago. These developments place Iraq and the Kurdistan Region in a precariousposition, with tensions likely to escalate as Israel continues to threatenstrikes on Iran and its regional interests. In this context, both Ankara andTehran could become crucial allies for the Kurdistan Region during thesechallenging times.
Anothercritical issue on Barzani’s radar during his latest visit to Turkiye is theUS-Iraq agreement on the phased redeployment of American troops in Iraq,announced just days before his trip. Under the agreement, US forces areexpected to conclude their mission within two years, with a US presence beingestablished in Erbil in the coming months.
At thisstage, reinforcing coordination between Erbil and Ankara regarding the Americanmilitary role in the Kurdistan Region becomes increasingly important,especially as this coordination is closely tied to the ongoing US presence inSyria.
In Syria,overlapping interests and influence involve not only the US and Turkiye butalso the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), Russian forces, Iranian-backedfactions, and the Syrian army.
Barzanifully understands the gravity of the situation unfolding in the region and ismindful of the potential risks to the Kurdistan Region’s interests. His talkswith Erdogan, alongside Turkish Foreign Minister Fidan and PresidentialSpokesperson Ibrahim Kalin, clearly represent an effort to navigate throughthese complex dynamics, mitigate negative outcomes, and seize the more promisingopportunities.
