Iraq's PM Sudani meets Erdogan, US envoy Barrack in Ankara

ANKARA, Turkey — Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al-Sudani met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and US special envoy Tom Barrack in Ankara on Tuesday, with talks covering energy, security, water, trade and the Development Road project. Sudani presented a proposal to supply Turkey with one million barrels of oil per day, according to the Iraqi prime minister's office. On energy, the meetings addressed a partnership agreement between a Turkish petroleum company and British BP, under which the Turkish firm took a 15% stake in operations at the Kirkuk oil fields. Security discussions focused on the disarmament of the PKK, the evacuation of Turkish military bases and the establishment of special commissions to deal with armed opposition Kurdish elements. On the economy, both sides set the goal of raising bilateral trade volume, though Turkish economic conditions, Iraq's market absorption capacity and prevailing circumstances were cited as limiting factors for an increase. The Development Road project also sparked debate after Iraq's transport minister declined to sign the agreement, with questions persisting over its feasibility and route options. No further details on the outcomes of the talks were immediately available.