In addition to Iraq’s Turkmen community, Mohammed Samaan Agha’s appointment as a state minister in Iraq was also welcomed in Türkiye.
The minister, who also happens to be the leader of the Iraqi Turkmen Front (ITC) and serves as governor of Kirkuk, promised to work “for the benefit of Iraq and Türkiye” in remarks to Turkish journalists on Sunday in Baghdad.
He met Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Saturday as the latter was in Baghdad to attend a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
Fidan congratulated him on his appointment as minister and told journalists that Türkiye had long monitored the challenges facing Iraq’s Turkmen community. He said addressing those challenges required progress on Iraq’s broader political and social problems.
”They are loyal citizens of Iraq. They are also highly conscious of preserving their own identity, which is precisely what we want,” Fidan said.
He stressed that the Turkmen community had consistently played a constructive role in Iraqi society and politics. “Türkiye and Iraq are brotherly countries, extensions of one another geographically, culturally and historically,” Fidan said. He called for a more institutionalized framework for bilateral cooperation that would serve both countries’ interests.
Agha was elected governor of Iraq’s Kirkuk province in April by the Kirkuk Provincial Council, becoming the first governor of Turkmen origin in more than a century. Turkmens are a Turkic-speaking minority whose total population is estimated at around 3 million. Agha visited Türkiye on an official trip following his election.
The new minister told reporters that, as a minister of Turkmen origin, he would work on issues in the interests of the people of both countries.
Commenting on his meeting with Fidan, Agha highlighted the historical, geographical, religious and cultural ties between the two countries.
Noting that Türkiye and Iraq shared many common issues, Saman Agha said: “We discussed all issues of mutual concern to the two countries, particularly security, trade, oil exports, energy, water and the fight against terrorism. In the coming period, as a Turkmen minister, we will do our best to carry out work in these areas that will benefit both countries and their peoples. We have initiated this process. God willing, we will make very good progress.”
Stating that regional tensions were negatively affecting the Iraqi economy, he said developments around the Strait of Hormuz and tensions between Iran, Israel and the United States had seriously harmed Iraq’s oil exports.
Emphasizing that Türkiye was an important neighbor and economic partner for Iraq, Agha said the Development Road Project should be accelerated.
“The faster the Development Road Project is carried out and implemented, the more beneficial it will be for Iraq. Türkiye will also benefit from it, but Iraq’s gains will be greater because this project will connect the East with the Western world,” he said.
Unveiled in May 2023, the Development Road Project is a $20 billion regional infrastructure initiative designed to facilitate the transport of goods from the Gulf to Europe via the Grand Faw Port in Basra, southern Iraq. The port would be linked to Türkiye and subsequently to Europe through an extensive network of railways and highways.
In April 2024, Türkiye, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on joint cooperation on the project.
Noting that the issue of water was becoming increasingly important as winter approached, Agha said water and security had also been discussed during talks between Türkiye and Iraq.
Recalling that Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi had also recently raised security concerns, the minister stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation between the two countries in these areas.
“I believe that relations between Iraq and Türkiye will become much stronger in the coming period,” he said.
Commenting on the Iraqi Turkmen Front’s political goals and the representation of Turkmens in the new government, Agha said they attached importance to maintaining good relations with the country’s different social groups.
“First and foremost, we trust in God. Then, we trust in the votes of our people and the support they have given us and the Iraqi Turkmen Front. At a very critical and difficult time for Iraq, we have established very good relations with our Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish brothers. We maintain sound and sincere relations with everyone,” the Turkmen minister said.
Recalling the agreement on rotating the governorship of Kirkuk among Turkmens, Kurds and Arabs, Agha said it was also significant that Turkmens had subsequently secured representation at the ministerial level in the government.
Emphasizing that all social groups in Iraq should be represented in the country’s administration, he said: “I think everyone in Iraq has now come to the conclusion that, alongside Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis, Turkmens and Christians must also be represented. This would allow all segments of Iraqi society to feel that they are represented in the government Cabinet.”