Turkey, Iraq normalizes ties after Ankara changes perspective

Turkey's Prime Minister Binali Yildirim meets with Iraqi Kurdish regional President Massoud Barzani in Erbil, Iraq January 8, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

"Turkey clearly told Iraq that it has no eye on any country's land," he noted.

Elaborating on the outcomes of the visit, he said the two countries will push to increase trade and make joint efforts in fight against terror, including the PKK and the IS. The two countries also plan to sign a new agreement on energy after the Mosul operation ended.

Whenever the IS group is defeated in Iraq, Baghdad will need Ankara for rehabilitation and keeping social and political balance in places where the group will leave, according to Duman.

Despite good will for restoring ties, both countries still have differences on the issue of Turkish troops in Bashiqa military camp in northern Iraq.

Baghdad wants to be sure for withdraw of Turkish troops, while Ankara says they are not permanent in Iraq and will retreat after the Mosul offensive ended.

Turkey has long been suffering from internal and external terrorism since June 2015, therefore, its will to cooperate with regional countries has vital importance, said Serkan Demirtas, local Hurriyet Daily News columnist.

The foreign policy pundit believes this visit is not a magic touch that will resolve all differences between Ankara and Baghdad, particularly on the issue of the Bashiqa camp, but they will be able to engage in a dialogue so that they can better find ways to cooperate, the expert said.

Demirtas underlined that energy is the most vital area of cooperation between Iraq and Turkey since the latter could be the route for Iraqi natural resources to world markets.

Iraq was Turkey's second most important market with an annual trade volume of $9 billion, but the strain in bilateral relations has inflicted a heavy blow on commerce.