Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government PM Barzani highlights strong economic ties with Türkiye

Masrour Barzani, Prime Minister of the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government, stated on Saturday that his administration enjoys strong economic and trade relations with Türkiye.

Speaking at the 5th Middle East Peace and Security Forum, hosted by the American University in Duhok, Barzani emphasized the positive nature of the Kurdish region’s ties with Türkiye, particularly in understanding the regional security situation.

“We have a good understanding of the security situation in the region,” he said. “What also encourages us is that Türkiye is seeking peaceful ways to resolve the issues in the region. For this reason, I can describe our relations with Türkiye as good.”

Barzani noted that the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government understands relying solely on oil as a source of income will always pose a problem.

He said his administration is working to diversify the economy by turning to various sources of income.

Barzani also noted that Iran is an important neighbor to Iraq and it is natural for Baghdad to have good relations with Tehran.

He highlighted that the Iraqi Kurdish Regional Government maintains good relations with the U.S. and other Western countries.

“But this does not mean we do not want to have good relations with China or any other country,” he added.