Iraq and Turkey sign Development Road agreement after on-stage signing dispute

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani's media office announced that an agreement to implement the Development Road project has been signed in Ankara, Turkey. Footage circulating on social media showed Prime Minister Ali Falih al-Zaydi stepping in during the ceremony after Transport Minister Waheb al-Husseini's signature was missing from the document. The project covers a road and rail corridor running from Iraq to Turkish ports, with the Iraqi section measuring 1,200 kilometers. Officials have described the route as a planned freight link between Europe and Gulf countries. The absence of the transport minister's signature from the agreement text drew attention in the footage, which showed the prime minister entering the negotiation to resolve the missing signature before the deal could be formalized. No further details were immediately available on the circumstances surrounding the on-stage dispute or the transport ministry's position.